Try, Try, Try Again
by ebacusta
Summary: A virus attacks the digital world and evil digimon are revived. Willis, T.K., Ken and Kari have been targeted by the evil virus, who is slowly changing the Digital World into its dark castle! Takari UPDATED FINALLY!
1. Problems Arise

NOTE: I've reuploaded the original version of this chapter for continuity's sake until I get the other chapters revised. If there are random things in a sentence that look out of place or don't make sense, those were probably originally contained in asterisks or dashes or something. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Hi! I hope you enjoy my digimon fanfic. Please R&R. Note: This is my 2nd fanfic. My other one is Life Loses Its Meaning in the Sailor Moon category. Please enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review. Ebacusta: Now for the disclaimer: I own digimon! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Kari: No matter what ebacusta says she does not own Digimon.

Ebacusta: Yes I do!

Kari: No you don't.

Ebacusta: Do too!

Ebacusta's Computer: -monotone- No you don't.

Ebacusta: Yes I do! kicks computer

Ebacusta's Computer: Stop that. -ebacusta doesn't stop computer signs online and calls a mental asylum. Men put ebacusta in a straight jack and drag her off towards a white truck-

Ebacusta: Maybe, I don't own digimon?

Kari: -waves- Don't forget to come back and write the second chapter!

T.K.: -to ebacusta -later, -to everyone else- let the fic began!

Try, Try, Try Again  
By ebacusta  
Chapter 1

Beep! Beep! Beep! Kari rolled over and turned off her alarm clock and slowly got out of bed. She walked slowly and clumsily to the bathroom. Sleepily she adjusted the water and stepped into the warm water. She shivered at first and then her eyes popped open. She showered and wrapping a towel around her went to her room and got dressed.

"The first day of school," she thought. She roused Gatomon and let her long hair flow down her back. Her bangs, now several inches longer, hung limply on her shoulders. She went out and sat with her brother for breakfast.

"Morning Tai," she said as she sat.

"Morning," he said.

"Happy that school starts again?" she asked.

"No," he grumbled.

"Okay," she replied. She ate her eggs and toast and then cleaned her plate and dried it putting it on the counter. Tai looked at his watch.

"Time to go," he said.

"Okay," Kari said as she ran into the bedroom and grabbed her bag. (A/N. I'm American so I'm not quite sure how the Japanese do their school system.) She checked her reflection in the mirror. The light blue shirt and denim capris enhanced her crimson eyes and long straight hair framed her face. She turned and looked over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw Superstar in bright sparkly silver letters.

"Kari, come on!" Tai yelled.

"Coming!" she replied picking up Gatomon and walking out of the room.

As T.K. climbed out of Matt's blue convertible, he saw Tai's red Porsche drive by. It parked on the other side of the car. Kari got out with Tai and T.K. waved. Kari waved back. T.K. walked up to her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied. Sora's green Toyota drove by and they all waved. Next was Izzy in a blue Taurus. Then came Joe in a black Nissan. Biyomon, Gabumon, Agumon, Tentomon, and Gomamon all climbed out of their respectful cars. Patamon was lying on T.K.'s hat as usual and Kari still held Gatomon to her chest.

"Kari!" She turned and saw Yolei running towards her with Poromon. Then came the car Matt was hoping wouldn't come. A sleek silver Mitsubishi drove up and parked by Matt's car nearly hitting T.K. and Kari. The door opened and out stepped Davis with Demiveemon and Jun.

"No!" Matt screamed, "Come on T.K.!" T.K., Matt, Tai, Kari, Sora, Joe, Izzy, Davis, Yolei, Gomamon, Biyomon, Gabumon, Agumon, and Tentomon all ran towards the school.

"T.K.!" screamed a group of girls.

"Other way!" T.K. screamed. The group turned and ran towards the side of the building and ran around to the front and entered. Hiding in a dark hallway they caught their breaths.

"Why hasn't she given up?" Matt panted.

"I don't know," Davis replied.

"Looks, like, T.K., still, has a, fan club," Kari said between breaths.

"Looks like it," T.K. said.

"Why did she-?" Yolei began but was interrupted by Jun's voice, "There you are Matt." Matt looked up in horror and in a minute the group was running down the halls.

"Kari!" called a group of boys.

"Into the gym!" Kari yelled. They wheeled around and dashed into the gym and out the side door around the school back in the back door and into an empty darkened classroom.

"Why, don't, they, just, leave, us, alone?" Kari asked bending over.

"I don't know," T.K. wheezed.

"Hey!" Tai said, "It's almost time for school to start. We better go find out which classes we're in."

"You're right," Yolei said. They left the classroom and went to the board.

"Hey T.K.! We're in the same class!" Kari said. "So are Yolei and Ken."

"Hey Izzy! I'm in your class!" Matt said.

"Sora, I'm with you," Joe said.

"Tai! You're with us!" Izzy said.

"Great!" Tai replied.

"I'm with Cody!" Davis said happily.

"Hey!" They turned and saw Cody and Ken running towards them holding Upamon and Wormmon.

"Ken! Cody!" Yolei called.

"What class am I in?" Ken asked.

"You're with us," Kari said.

"Cody, you're with me!" Davis said.

"Let's look at the classes," Sora said. There was some silence.

"I have Math first," T.K said.

"Japanese for me," Cody said.

"Geometry," Tai spoke.

"English," Joe replied.

"We better get going," Matt said.

"Yeah. So I guess we'll see you guys after school?" Kari said.

"Remember guys we'll meet by the cars. See you later," said Sora.

Cody spoke, "Right. Later." With that the group spilt up.

"I'm going to my locker to get my stuff," Kari said.

"Me too." T.K. said, "See you in class." Yolei nodded and her and Ken continued down the hall. Kari walked down the hall towards her locker. T.K. followed.

"T.K. I thought you were going to your locker," Kari said.

"I am," T.K. said. Kari walked and stopped in front of locker number 148. T.K. stopped in front of locker number 149.

"That's your locker?"

"Yeah."

"Cool!" he nodded. They pulled out their books. Kari glanced at her watch.

"T.K. we better get going or we'll be late!" They ran and skidded into class sliding in line behind Yolei. Gatomon now was standing beside Kari. Patamon hadn't moved. The teacher began assigning seats to the class.

"Yolei," the teacher said pointing to a seat, "Hikari," she said pointing to the one next to Yolei's, "Takeru," she said pointing to the seat next to Kari, "Ken," she pointed to the seat in front of Yolei. The teacher went on as T.K., Kari, Yolei and Ken made their ways to their seats. After everyone was seated the teacher spoke, "My name is Ms. Kuchida." T.K. raised his hand. "Yes Takeru."

"Ma'am you can call me T.K."

"And ma'am you can call me Kari," Kari said as she held her hand high.

"Very well, this is Math class and not wishing to waste anytime we shall get right into the lesson." By the end of the class Kari was ready to go back to sleep. Your homework is on the board copy it down. Kari pulled out her planner and wrote down the homework. Gathering her stuff she made her way towards the door.

"Kari wait up!" T.K. called. She stopped. He came up beside her.

"You look tired," Gatomon observed.

"I am," Kari said. "That class was b-o-r-i-n-g."

"What's your next class?" Patamon asked.

"English," T.K. said.

"Oh that will be fun," Kari perked.

"Sure," T.K. replied yawning.

By lunch Kari had decided that Monday mornings were boring except for PE and English. She walked over to tree and sat down. Pulling out a cup she poured in some milk and sat a container of yogurt beside it for Gatomon.

"Spoon." Kari handed one to her. T.K. sat beside her and gave Patamon a candy bar and drinkable yogurt. Soon after came a tired Matt and Gabumon (running from Jun), then Tai, Agumon, Sora, Biyomon, Joe, Gommamon, Izzy, and Tentomon. Then came Yolei, Poromon, Ken, Wormmon, Davis, Demiveemon, Cody, and Upamon.

"How was your morning Tai?" Kari asked. Tai in turn grumbled some incoherent words and began munching on chips. "What?" He grumbled again.

"Boring," Sora said laughing. "It took me 6 times before I figure out what he was saying. Mine was also boring. I had English, Math, Geography, and then Science."

Matt spoke, "My mine was so boring it's a wonder I'm still alive. Geometry, Japanese, Math, Geography. What about you T.K.?"

"Well, I had Math, English, PE, and History."

"I had Japanese, PE, Geography, and English." Davis said. "And then between class Jun found me and asked if I had seen Matt."

"Kari looked about ready to fall asleep in History," Gatomon informed the group. Kari blushed.

"T.K. did fall asleep," Patamon stated.

After lunch came Geography, Japanese, Science, and Study Hall. Kari stumbled out of Study Hall. T.K. came after her.

"Kari are you okay?"

"So tired," she grumbled.

"The classes aren't that bad. At least we have a study hall so we won't have so much homework," T.K. said.

"I guess you're right," Kari said straightening. "The Math teacher is pretty strict. She's the only one who assigned any homework. So I guess Study Hall was fun because we got to play games." "Right," T.K. agreed. "Come on, let's go meet the others."

"Okay." Together the two turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Little did they know a boy was watching-had been watching-Kari all day.

"So T.K. you think you can steal this one from me too. We'll see about that." With that the boy turned and left the building walking home quickly.

Sora looked at her watch for the 5th time. "Matt should be here by now."

"T.K.!" called a voice. They turned Matt was driving towards them.

"Ice Cream Parlor right?" T.K. clarified. Sora nodded. "Great!" With that T.K. ran into the street in direct path of the car. "Come on Davis!" Davis did the same thing.

"What are you doing?" Sora yelled at them. Neither T.K. nor Davis answered but instead grabbed hold of the side of the convertible and swung themselves over and into the seats. Sora gaped as she watched Matt speed out of the parking lot.

"Gotta go!" Kari yelled. Sora saw Tai's red Porsche driving at them. "Come on Yolei!" Kari and Yolei then ran into the direct path of the car but instead of swinging into the car they flung open the door and jumped in a split second in which the car slowed. The doors slammed and Sora again gaped as the car sped out after Matt.

Joe drove up and Cody climbed in. Joe then drove off. Next came Izzy and Ken climbed in and following Joe left the parking lot. By then Sora had reached her car and she too climbed in a drove out of the parking lot. When she got to ice cream shop she saw Kari and T.K. leaning against Tai's car talking with Davis just hanging around them. Matt, Tai, Joe, and Izzy were talking and their digimon were hanging nearby talking themselves. Yolei, Cody, and Ken were immersed in what looked to be a deep conversation.

Sora stomped over to T.K., Kari, Davis grabbed them marched by Yolei snagging her too and then over to Tai and Matt.

"WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU DOING?" she screamed.

"We were leaving the school," they said.

She shook T.K., Kari, Davis, and Yolei at the boys. "THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HURT!"

They took a step back. "Yeah but they've done it so much they're use to it."

This apparently was the wrong thing to say as Sora exploded at them shaking T.K., Kari, Davis, and Yolei violently, "YOU HAVE DONE THIS MORE THAN ONCE! ARGH! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU TWO?"

The boys shrank back in fear at the angry girl in front of them.

"Sora it is okay," T.K. rasped. Sora stopped and looked at the 4 almost unconscious teens. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"You're the one who almost killed them," Tai mumbled under his breath. Sora dropped the teens to the ground and grabbed Tai's shirt collar.

"What did you say Tai Kamiya?" Sora yelled.

"Nothing," Tai said.

"Good!" Sora said letting go.

"Can we just get ice cream?" Davis asked. Kari looked around. Her eyes landed on a boy she knew she'd seen before.

"T.K., isn't that a boy from school," she asked. T.K. looked.

"Yeah it is." Suddenly the boy turned and ran down the street. Kari and T.K. jumped up and took off after him.

"Kari! Kari! Where are you going?" Tai yelled at the same time that Sora yelled, "Kari! T.K.! Come back!" and Matt yelled, "T.K.! T.K.! Get back here! T.K.!"

"We'll be back in a minute!" T.K. yelled in response. Angrily, Tai and Matt pushed through the group and ran after their smaller siblings. T.K. and Kari turned the corner and saw the boy halfway down the street. They speed up their pace and slowly gained on the boy. Matt and Tai were not far behind.

Finally T.K. and Kari were within reaching distance. Kari reached out and grabbed the boy's shoulder. She pulled him back and then somehow she ended up on the ground with him on top of her fist raised to punch her. Tai ran up and yanked the boy off of her. Matt on the hand was restraining T.K.

"Why the heck were you about to punch my sister?" Tai yelled at the boy. With a little difficulty Matt managed to help Kari up while still restraining T.K.

"Who are you?" Kari asked. "You've been watching me all day."

"My name is Yamazaki," he said as he squirmed in Tai's hands.

"Why have you been following me all day?"

"It's none of your business," he replied.

"It's none of your business what I do during or after school so answer my question!" Kari demanded.

"No," he replied stubbornly.

"Answer my sister you jerk," Tai said shaking him.

"No," he replied.

"Answer her!" T.K. yelled.

"No."

"Fine let's rephrase the question. Why were you stalking my sister?" Tai asked.

"I wasn't stalking her! I was just looking. Besides it's not my fault she showed up where I was going."

"Then why didn't you just come over? Why did you run off like that?" Kari demanded.

"It's still none of your business," he replied.

"Answer her!" T.K. yelled struggling to get out of his brother's grasp.

"Fine! I didn't come over because I thought you would have thought I was following you. I ran off like that when you saw me because I was hopping maybe you hadn't seen me and wouldn't think I was following you," he said.

"You like her don't you?" Matt asked still restraining T.K.

Yamazaki faltered, "N-No I don't. Why would I like someone like her?"

"What? How dare you insult me!" Kari yelled. Within seconds Matt was restraining both T.K. and Kari. Tai shook Yamazaki.

"Don't insult her like that," he said.

"Who's insulting her? I just said she's not my type," Yamazaki replied coolly. "Now put me down."

"Tai need help," Matt said slowly losing his grip on the raging teenagers. Tai looked at Yamazaki levelly and growled through clenched teeth, "You stay away from sister." With that he dropped him on the ground and grabbed Kari. She started towards Yamazaki but before she could get very far before Tai picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. Matt did the same.

"How dare you! Tai put me down!" Kari raged, "You stalk me and then say I'm not your type. Yeah right!"

T.K. on the other hand raged, "You follow her like some kind of maniac and then insult her and act totally rude. You should apologize."

Matt and Tai carried the teens all the way down the shop and all the while Kari and T.K. yelled at him. When they got to the shop Tai and Matt put them down.

"Calm down," Matt told them.

"Calm down? Yamazaki just insulted me!" Kari said angrily.

"Let's just go get ice cream so you two can chill," Tai said.

"Fine," T.K. said. The foursome walked into the ice cream parlor. The rest of the group sat in a booth waiting.

"What took so long?" Izzy asked. Tai explained the whole ordeal.

"Oh so you mean that boy insulted you Kari?" Sora asked. Kari nodded. "Well he should be a shamed of himself."

After ice cream the group stood up to leave when suddenly Jun burst through the door.

Matt ran outside and around the block before he managed to get into his car. Once again T.K. got in the middle of the road with Davis and as the car drove by they grabbed the side and jumped into the car.

"Bye!" T.K yelled waving. Then Kari and Yolei stood in the middle of the road. As Tai drove by slowing a little they flung open the door, jumped in, and shut it behind them. Kari leaned out the window and waved. "Bye!" Sora gawked but then ran to her car and sped after them.

Jun had sped home already. Sora watched the two cars race on the highway. Kari was leaning out the window yelling something at T.K. He laughed and nodded and then said something in reply. When they neared Davis house Matt slowed, but before he came to stop T.K. and Davis jumped out.

She watched as T.K. took Davis to the door of his house. She also noticed Tai was stalling beside Matt. Suddenly she saw T.K. running down the stairs. She watched as he jumped into Matt's car and they sped off with Tai beside them. Then she saw Kari leaning out the window reaching towards T.K. who in turn grabbed her arms and helped her cross over the gap between the two cars.

They sat side by side and then Tai and Matt came to a stop at Yolei's apartment complex (A/N. I can't remember if Yolei and Kari or someone lives in the same apartment complex.) Kari jumped out with Yolei and the two ran up the stairs. All the while Tai and Matt sped around the block. Then Sora watched in horror as Kari flipped over the railing and swung down level by level except she missed the second floor railing a plummeted towards the ground. Before she hit the ground Matt sped underneath her and she fell into T.K.'s arms.

Sora sped after them her heart still racing. She watched as Kari said something to T.K. and then climbed back into Tai's car. They sped by T.K.'s house and Matt slowed just enough for T.K. to jump out. "Bye little bro!" Matt yelled driving off with Tai beside him.

"Bye!" she heard Kari yell as she leaned out the window waving while Tai sped off. Sora sped after them.

"Bye Tai!" Matt yelled.

"Bye Matt!" Tai yelled. And with that the two turned and went towards their houses. Sora followed Tai and watched as he parked before speeding down the street towards her own house.

Kari and Tai entered their house and taking off their shoes walked into the kitchen.

"Hi kids," Mrs. Kamiya said as they entered.

"Hi mom," Kari said as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Hi mom," Tai said.

"How was school?"

"Boring," they both said at the same time.

"I have a couple classes I like," Kari said. "One is PE the other is English and the last one is Study Hall. T.K. is in all my classes."

"Wow you two must wreaked havoc on the classes," Mrs. Kamiya said. Kari giggled and got up to go to her room.

"What to do Gatomon?" Kari said flopping down on her bed.

"You could check you email," the cat digimon suggested as she jumped up on Kari's desk.

"Good idea," Kari said as she dragged herself over to her desk chair. She signed on.

"You have 8 new pieces of mail," said the voice. Kari opened her mailbox and saw that most of them were from T.K. Smiling she opened the first one. The 7 out of 8 emails that he wrote consisted of "Hey, how are you?" The last one was Yolei talking about school. She signed off. She lay down on the floor. She liked to think about things like this. Staring at the ceiling she began to think about Yamazaki.

"That jerk," she thought, "Stalks me and then says I'm not his type. I'll show him who's not his type." Tai poked his head in the room.

"Kari T.K.'s on the phone for you." She nodded and he tossed her the phone.

"Hello?" Kari asked.

"Kari?" came T.K.'s voice. "You wanna take a walk with me?"

"Sure."

"Great. How about we meet at the park?"

"Okay, see you there."

"Yeah later." They hung up.

"Mom!" Kari called running into the hallway towards the door. "I'm going to take a walk with some friends!"

"Okay! Be home by 10!" her mom replied. Putting on her shoes Kari ran out of the house.

Yamazaki paced the floor angrily. His mind kept recalling those words Kari's brother had said to him. 'You, stay away from my sister.' He probably blew it if she thinks he's a jerk. And he had acted kind of rude, but that was only because T.K. was moving in his girl.

"I'll just have to get back at him," Yamazaki thought. He moved over to his desk and sat down and began rapidly typing on his keyboard. "Better watch out T.K. you moved in on my girl and now you'll have to pay," Yamazaki said quietly.

When Kari got to the park T.K. was waiting for her.

"Hey T.K.!" Kari said as she ran up to him.

"Hey!" Together they walked around the park and then down the street. They ate and then walked slowly towards Kari's house.

"Do you believe him?" T.K. asked.

"Believe who?"

"Yamazaki."

"About what?"

"You not being his type," T.K. said.

"No," Kari said crossly. "You don't just follow someone around all day and then say they're not your type. He's hiding something. Did you see him at lunch and study hall?" T.K. shook his head.

"At lunch he was hovering around our tree with his friends and in study hall he kept staring at the back of my head. The back on one's head is normally not their most attractive feature," Kari said hotly.

"Maybe he's got psychic powers and by staring at the back of you head he can see the front," T.K. said. Kari giggled.

"You always know how to lighten the mood with your jokes T.K."

"Thank you miss," T.K. said formally while tipping an imaginary hat. Kari giggled again. "See what I mean?" By then they were standing in front of the Movie Theater. Kari looked at her watch, 8:31.

"You wanna see a movie?" Kari asked.

T.K. shrugged. "Sure." Together they bought tickets to a random movie and walked into the theater. After passing through the ticket guy (A/N. You know the one who rips your tickets in half? Him I don't know what they're called.) T.K. and Kari went up to the refreshments stand. After buying candy the two walked down a random stretch of the theater. Suddenly T.K. pulled Kari behind a wall.

"What?" Kari asked.

"Look around the corner. Isn't that Haruki and Rei?" T.K. asked. Kari looked.

"Yeah so?"

"And Ryo and Sousuke?" Kari looked again.

"Yeah so?" T.K. looked at her expectantly. "Ryo and Sousuke, Haruki and Rei, oh my." T.K. nodded. Slowly the two tried to crawl back down the hall and out sight. They're attempt was unsuccessful.

"T.K. and Kari! What are you doing?" Haruki called out. Spotted Kari raked her brain for an excuse.

"Uh looking for my earring!" Kari responded, "Ha I found it thanks for helping T.K."

"Uh, sure," T.K. said standing up with her. He whispered in her ear, "Good thinking."

"Thanks," she responded. "So Rei!" she said loud enough for them hear. "Have you found a new person to stalk, I mean like?" T.K. crossed his fingers.

"No," Rei replied shrugging.

"What movie are you two going to go see?" Haruki asked.

"Nothing important. Oh will you look at the time? Our movie is going to start soon. Gotta go," T.K. replied. Together him and Kari turned and dashed down the hall.

"T.K., they're following us!" Kari said glancing over her shoulder. If we can get out of their sight and run into the theater we might be able to escape. Left, right, through the lobby, right, right, left, and right. Finally they ended up in their theater. They climbed up towards the top. Selecting a row about 20 or so rows down they sat in the middle.

5 minutes later T.K. and Kari calmed down and watched the movie munching on their candy. 20 minutes after that they both saw familiar figures climbing up the stairs towards them. Before they could do anything the boys were sitting next to Kari and the girls were shoving their way past her and pushing past T.K. Rei "accidentally" fell on T.K. and while she was trying to buy herself time sitting their apologizing, Kari felt as if someone reached in and was twisting her heart.

"Will you get off him?" Kari hissed as she shoved the girl on his lap off on to the cold stone floor.

"Ugh! Well I never!" Rei whispered angrily.

"Yes you never," Kari shot back fiercely. T.K. stared at her in awe as Kari folded her hands over her chest and stared crossly at the screen.

"I don't know what came over me a minute ago but now I feel strangely satisfied," Kari thought as she glared at the movie screen.

When the movie was over Kari stood up and pushed passed the boys. Running down the stairs and down the ramp she disappeared from view.

"Kari!" T.K. called.

"You don't have to go after her," Rei said rubbing T.K.'s arm.

"Get off me and yes I do," T.K. said.

"No you don't," Rei said still rubbing.

"Don't touch me," T.K. said yanking his arm away, pushing past the boys and running down the stairs after Kari. They followed.

"The things I do for love," Rei sighed as she ran after her sweetheart, T.K.

"Why am I running?" Kari asked herself as ran down the hall.

"Kari!" T.K. called. Kari ran faster. "Kari wait up!" T.K. yelled. Kari didn't answer but instead started to sprint. Dodging people Kari ran until she saw a dark hallway. She ran down it and curled up pulling her knees to her chest and burying her face in them. T.K. ran past before turning around and running down the hall where she was.

"Kari what's wrong?" T.K. asked as he kneeled beside her.

"I don't know," Kari said into her knees.

"Tell me how you feel," T.K. pushed gently.

"Like crap," Kari said shortly.

"Why do you feel like crap?" T.K. asked.

"I don't know. But I feel hurt and replaced," Kari said. It was then that T.K. understood what she was trying to say.

"I'm sorry about that theater thing," T.K. offered.

Obviously he hit the right ticket because Kari lifted her head and said, "How could you just let her sit on you like that?"

"I don't know. I've never had someone sit on me like that and so I guess I was kind of surprised," T.K. confessed.

"Really?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," T.K. apologized.

"It's okay. I'm probably in a bad mood because of Yamazaki," Kari said.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the crybaby who can't bear that T.K.'s with me," said Rei's voice.

"Crybaby?" Kari asked standing up angrily. "Crybaby, you wanna see a crybaby? I'll show you a crybaby, come here."

"Why should I when I've got T.K. to protect me," said Rei as she wrapped her hands around T.K.'s waist. Kari felt a sharp pang in her heart.

"My heart, it hurts," she mumbled as she bent over clutching her chest. "Can't breathe properly." Her hand desperately tried to hold in the heart which felt like it was falling out. Then Kari had a horrible vision her heart was ripped out by Rei. She cried out in anguish.

"I told you not to, Kari what's wrong?" T.K. asked.

"My heart hurts and I can't breathe," Kari whispered.

"What?" T.K. put his ear next to her mouth as she repeated what she had just said. "Your heart hurts? Why?"

"I don't know, I just can't-" Kari said.

"Oh look everyone, the crybaby's heart hurts. Is it because she wants T.K. and can't have him because T.K. is already mine?" Rei taunted. Kari looked up on the verge of tears but she wasn't about to let them know. Kari stood up.

"You wanna see a crybaby? Here, here's a crybaby," Kari said angrily as she punched Rei. Rei didn't let go of T.K. but glared at Kari. The pain in her heart got worse.

"Let go of him!" Kari said as she yanked Rei's arms from around T.K.'s waist. "Can't you see you're the only one who enjoys it? I know for a fact T.K. told you not to touch him so abide by his wishes and don't touch him."

"Come on T.K.! Let's go!" Kari said as she walked down the hall. T.K. went with her. As soon as they had turned the corner they took off through the halls and into the lobby. Kari looked over her shoulder.

"T.K., they're following but they're just coming out of the hall," Kari informed him as they ran through the door and down the street. As they turned a street corner both of them saw the foursome run out of the theater. Running as fast as possible through the still kind of crowded streets Kari and T.K. ran for the safety of darkness or a secure place to hide. Finding none they continued to run.

"Isn't Rei and Haruki the leaders of your T.K. fan club?" Kari asked.

"Yeah!" T.K. said.

"Whoa boy!" Kari said. "Hey T.K. aren't we close to your house? We could hide in there."

"Good idea!" T.K. said as they started to run up stairs. From what they could hear the foursome hadn't gotten on the stairs yet. T.K. opened the door and the two went in. Taking off their shoes T.K. went into the kitchen to get some water. He came back out with two glasses and handed one to Kari before sitting next to her on the couch.

"T.K. is that you?" his mother called from her bedroom.

"Yes mom, Kari's here too!" T.K. responded.

"Okay dear!" Kari looked at her watch, 10:27.

"Man, I'm going to be in trouble," Kari said as she fished out her cell phone.

"Why?" T.K. asked cocking his head to look at her.

"I was supposed to be home by 10. I'm almost half an hour late," Kari responded as she punched in the number of her house.

"Hello? Kari? Oh thank goodness you're alright," Mrs. Kamiya's worried voice came through the phone.

"I'm sorry mom," Kari apologized, "We went to see a movie and ran over. I'll be home soon. Right now I'm at T.K.'s house."

"Okay, I'm just glad you're alright. Did you have a fun time?"

"Yeah," Kari said smiling. "And I've got some more things to think about."

"That's great dear," Mrs. Kamiya replied.

"I'll see you later mom."

"Bye Kari." It was then that she realized that T.K. was staring at her intently. She turned.

"Well T.K., I've gotta go. Thanks for the water." Kari stood up and put on her shoes. Opening the door she turned once more, "Bye T.K. I'll see you tomorrow at school." She took on step out the door.

"Wait don't go," T.K. said.

"Huh?" Kari turned.

"I-I-I wanted to say bye. See you tomorrow," T.K. stammered.

"Okay," with that she turned and left closing the door behind her.

"Why did I let that thought possess my head?" T.K. asked.

"Ha! I've finally finished!" Yamazaki said. "Using my computer genius I have successfully created a computer virus worthy of T.K.! Now to send it to him." Signing on line he sent it to T.K. with a friendly message. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Yamazaki cackled.

Kari lay back down on the floor staring at the ceiling. In her mind Rei's words, 'Oh look everyone, the crybaby's heart hurts. Is it because she wants T.K. and can't have him because T.K. is already mine?' kept repeating. "Was it true?" she thought, "Was that why my heart hurt earlier? Could I really feel this way because T.K.'s not with me? Was that pain in my heart the pain of jealousy? But I've never been jealous. I don't know."

"You look troubled," Gatomon observed standing over her. "What's wrong?" Kari lifted Gatomon up and sat her down on her stomach.

"I'm trying to sort through these feelings," Kari replied looking at her digimon.

"What feelings, maybe I can help?" Gatomon offered.

"Well, earlier tonight I was at the movie theater with T.K. and we were just wondering around the theater and we saw some kids from school. Well, we ran from them because they like us, there were two boys and two girls, and we don't like them. We ended up in the correct theater and watched the movie but the found us 25 minutes after the movie started. As Rei, one of the girls from school pushed past T.K. she fell into to T.K.'s lap purposely. She tried to buy herself some time sitting there but I felt as if someone was twisting my heart and got angry and pushed her off. I don't know why but something possessed me to do it but after I had I felt strangely satisfied. After the movie I ran off and T.K. followed along with the other four Rei, Haruki, Ryo, and Sousuke. When T.K. found me he explained to me why he hadn't done anything when Rei sat on him. I felt a little better and then Rei and the others found us and she called me a crybaby and then wrapped her arms around T.K.

"Then I felt as if someone pulled my heart out of my chest and then stabbed it. And then I saw this horrible vision in which Rei reached in my chest and ripped out my heart. I couldn't breathe right. T.K. asked what was wrong and I told him and then Rei said, Rei said, Rei said 'Oh look everyone, the crybaby's heart hurts. Is it because she wants T.K. and can't have him because T.K. is already mine?' Those were her exact words and for a moment everything went blank for me and then I got angry and punched her. I was struggling not to cry and then I removed her arms from T.K. and we left but they chased us and so we went into his house to escape and then I came home. What do you think is the matter?"

Gatomon looked thoughtful for a moment and then spoke, "Kari, I think you have your first crush."

"My, first, crush? On T.K.?" Gatomon nodded, "But he's my best friend," Kari protested.

"That just makes it more of an intimate crush," Gatomon announced.

"Intimate crush?" Kari asked puzzled.

"Yes," Gatomon explained, "You see, since you two are best friends you already know what he likes and doesn't like. You know you're common interests. Basically you know him better than most girls would know their crush. Honestly most girls end up having a crush on a complete jerk and when they meet him they realize that. But you already know T.K. You've know him almost all your life. You know he's kind, considerate, thoughtful, honest, funny, and all around to be with. You know each other very well. You have years of knowledge about him behind you. Thus, your crush becomes an intimate. Because you know him intimately."

"I guess it makes sense, but since when did you become the love expert Gatomon?" Kari asked curiously.

"Since I read some of your mother's books."

"Mom's books?"

"Yeah, I read some articles online."

"Articles online? Why?"

"Kari, you're 15 almost 16 and I was sure if you hadn't started going through things like this that you would be going through it soon and I wanted to be there for you to shine down a light for you to see and find your way out of the confusing tunnels of puberty so I studied up so I could help you through it."

"Gee thanks Gatomon. You would skip some of your catnaps just for me? I'm touched," Kari said.

"Yeah." Gatomon said out loud and then thought to herself, "I guess since Kari started T.K.'s starting soon. I'll never tell her that Patamon studied with me too though. She doesn't need to know."

Kari thought, "Is Gatomon right? Do I really have a crush on my best friend? Much less an intimate crush?" Little did they know Tai had been listening from outside the door.

"So Kari has a crush on T.K.?" he said quietly to himself, "Well, I guess I'll just have to be there when she needs support."

"What's wrong T.K.?" Patamon asked. He had been thinking about his relationship with Kari. He shared his feelings and then his observations about Kari from tonight.

"T.K., I think you have a crush on her," Patamon responded.

"A crush? On Kari? She's my best friend no way!"

"Not just any kind of crush T.K. An intimate one."

"Intimate crush? They have kinds of crushes?" T.K. asked. T.K. got the same counsel Kari had gotten. He thought about it for a while and eventually changed for bed and settled down to go to sleep. He went out like a light Patamon beside him. But since he didn't look at his computer screen he failed to see the weird thing happening and then a purple, blue, green, and pink light fly out of the screen and into his digivice. On the screen of the digivice came the map of the digital and it was starting to distort itself as the virus attack it.

The next day they digidestined were leaning against the wall waiting for Izzy when they saw him, he was sprinting towards them.

"What's wrong Izzy?" Sora asked.

"Izzy showed them the computer screen.

"Is that the digital world?" Yolei asked.

"Yes!" Izzy responded.

"It looks different," Kari observed.

"I know! It's been attack by a virus that some how got into T.K.'s digivice. I think it came from an unopened email. T.K. did you check you email last night?"

"No," T.K. responded. Yamazaki, who was lingering around the corner, felt his stomach churn and his mind start to race. If T.K. didn't open his email last night the virus that attacked the digital world was his!

Izzy continued, "Anyway, the digital world has reconfigured itself in such a way that.all the evil digimon we defeated have now been resurrected and reign evil once more! We'll have to defeat them all over again. But now, they're much stronger!"

----------------------

Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry about any grammar mistakes, misspellings, or missing words. I'll have the next one out ASAP. Don't forget to review.

ebacusta

P.S. I've calmed down a little.


	2. New Ideas

Hi guys. I would like to thank, *starts panting* um I'd like to thank, thank, um thank- *ebacusta faints from to much candy*  
  
Kari: Um ebacusta had too much candy last night. Before I do thank yous, I would like to explain why it took so long to update. Ebacusta lately has been having lots of computer problems, and was about to post something using another computer, the reason why she hadn't updated. But then her brother fixed the computer and now she's back. If it's any consolation she almost done with chapter 3. Now, she would like to thank  
  
Blitz Blazer- for your review  
  
Cloaked Fox- for your review also  
  
Kawaii Mimi-chan- for your reviews. Then she would like say, I did type Kari twice and it wasn't a typo. But if you want Ken to go he can. I forgot to mention Willis gets trapped there also and I am going to change the summary. Then she would like to thank  
  
Eowyn the Fair- for your review and not to forget  
  
miaow 227- for your review. Thanks. Also, note, since they never tell us the Digidestined's birthdays, Ebacusta will make some up okay?  
  
T.K.: Ebacusta also needs some-  
  
Davis: *interrupts* Kari will you go out with me?  
  
Kari: No.  
  
Davis: Please!!  
  
Kari: No.  
  
Davis: Please!!  
  
Kari: *hits Davis with a mallet* Time for the disclaimer.  
  
Izzy: I'll do it. Ebacusta owns absolutely nothing of Digimon.  
  
Ebacusta: *slurs words* don't make it so obvious. I do own digimon.  
  
*Tai and Matt dragged ebacusta to the bathroom.*  
  
T.K.: Um. Ebacusta wants to know your ideas for what could happen in this story. Please tell. Urm, fic time.  
  
Censer Kid: Don't think you wanna see or hear this. *pulls a curtain over scene*  
  
Try, Try, Try, Again  
By ebacusta  
Chapter 2  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
The next day the digidestined were leaning against the wall waiting for Izzy. When they saw him, he was sprinting towards them.  
  
"What's wrong Izzy?" Sora asked.  
  
"Izzy showed them the computer screen.  
  
"Is that the digital world?" Yolei asked.  
  
"Yes!" Izzy responded.  
  
"It looks different," Kari observed.  
  
"I know! It's been attack by a virus that some how got into T.K.'s digivice. I think it came from an unopened email. T.K. did you check you email last night?"  
  
"No," T.K. responded. Yamazaki, who was lingering around the corner, felt his stomach churn and his mind start to race. If T.K. didn't open his email last night the virus that attacked the digital world was his!  
  
Izzy continued, "Anyway, the digital world has reconfigured itself in such a way that.all the evil digimon we defeated have now been resurrected and reign evil once more! We'll have to defeat them all over again. But now, they're much stronger!"  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
"What!?!?" all the digidestined screamed in unison. Sora looked as if she was about to faint as she leaned on Tai's shoulder.  
  
"That's impossible!" Matt said, "Surely not all of them!"  
  
Izzy nodded, "It's like the digital world is going back in time. First Malomyotismon came back and then Mummymon and Arukenimon."  
  
"Great, soon we'll be changing diapers," Tai said looking around at the younger of the group.  
  
"No we won't Tai," Izzy said "The digital world is going back, not necessarily the digidestined." "If Izzy knows, then Willis must know and-" Kari said but was interrupted when her D-Terminal went off. She pulled it out and flipped it open. On the screen it said:  
  
The digital world is in danger. Its been reconfigured, we need to figure out how to deal with this problem. Say hi to everyone for me.  
  
Willis  
  
"So Willis knows and says hi to you guys. Now hopefully Mimi knows and-" Kari's D-Terminal beeped again. She pulled it out and flipped it open. This one said:  
  
When I heard about the digital world from Michael, I fainted in the middle of class and had to be taken to the nurse's office. I am hiding in a bathroom stall right now. I can't believe all those scary monsters are back. And they're stronger now! This is bad guys.  
  
Mimi  
  
"So Mimi knows along with Michael too. So now that the whole team knows what we need to do know is figure out what to do about it," Kari said putting away her D-Terminal.  
  
Then T.K. spoke, "The enemy may be much stronger, but so are we. The bond we have with our digimon has strengthened hasn't it? Plus Devimon was no real challenge even if he is more powerful; he can't take on one angel much less two. And if he actually manages to get a hit this time we can celebrate at my house."  
  
Suddenly Sora said, "What makes you think we'll fight Devimon first?"  
  
"Well Sora, it sounds like this virus has basically pushed a rewind button making the digital world go back in time. If you just rewind a videotape that won't change the sequence, will it? No. So logically, all that's happened is the digital world has been rewound and is now playing in the same sequence," T.K. reasoned.  
  
They were silent for a minute. Finally Kari said, "T.K.'s right. Though I never fought Devimon from what Tai tells me he didn't even get a hit on Angemon. Besides, the prophecy said that the one who couldn't digivolve would kill him was right. Maybe this time the prophecy says the one he's never met will kill him." They all laughed.  
  
"Well, one thing's for sure," Sora said as they pushed off the wall, "we need to find out who sent T.K. that virus."  
  
"And more importantly why," Yolei piped as they walked past Yamazaki. Davis jumped up down, "If I find out who and why, will you date me Kari?"  
  
"No. Hey Ken, Cody, you two have been very quiet. What do you have on your minds?"  
  
"Well, I was just thinking that whoever sent T.K. that virus must go to the same school as us," Cody said thoughtfully.  
  
"Why do you think that Cody?" Yolei asked.  
  
"Well," Ken said instead of Cody, "unless T.K.'s told his email address to someone who hates him outside of school, no one else could possibly send him one. Since we have a directory (A/N. I don't know if Japanese schools give their students school directories like they do in America but for now please pretended with me that they do.) that has the addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and cell phone numbers of all the students in the school it's not possible someone outside of school sent it to him."  
  
Cody spoke, "Unless our school is selling our directories at a bookstore and out of the millions of people in Japan someone who doesn't go to our school knows and hates T.K. and has a copy of our directory then like Ken said, it's not possible. T.K. have you given your email address to anyone who's not a digidestined outside of this school?"  
  
T.K. shook his head. "No."  
  
"So," Ken said, "Therefore it has to be someone in this school."  
  
"But who?" Sora asked.  
  
"That's what we have to figure out," Cody replied simply. "Now come on guys we have to get to the assembly hall." They walked in and sat and even when the principal walked on the stage none of them could focus on what he was saying.  
  
They heard, "Students of Odaiba High (A/N. Ken has moved.)-"and "We must band together and make our community a better place-" and "Takeru Takaishi, Kari Kamiya, Yamazaki Watobe and-" and "will be forming a group for a 14 day bake sale and-" and the last thing they heard before going to class was, "You'll all be given a packet on your assignments in Geography."  
  
In Math the teacher called on Kari once and she amazingly got the answer right though she hadn't heard the question. In English the teacher called on Kari three times and every time she muttered something and then said the sentence in Japanese rather than in English. In PE she was hit by a ball 6 times not to mention how many times she ran into the walls of the gym and was knocked out. Instead of History she lay in the nurse's office, after taking Tylenol, with a glazed expression on her face.  
  
At lunch the nurse let Kari out where she got her assignment and the notes of the lesson from a dazed T.K. and then ate lunch with all the other dazed digidestined children who were lost in thought about the digital world. When they got to Geography they sat with their groups and surprisingly so as the teacher began to speak they came back to their senses and listened intently to what they had missed.  
  
"These students," the teacher said as she began to walk around the room lying packets on tables, "are the packets you will use to help organize your event. Look these over. Then I will allow you time to talk with your group and use a phone to set up a meeting place with your parents for after school."  
  
"Can we use our cell phones?" one girl called out.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Miss, what if we have Volleyball practice after school?" another girl asked.  
  
"Then you'll have schedule around that won't you?" the teacher replied setting down the last group of packets on a table opposite where the girl was sitting and then retreated to her desk. "Get started kids." Yamazaki, T.K., and Kari looked their packets over in silence.  
  
"Okay," Kari said finally. "We can meet at my house." Yamazaki nodded and T.K. shrugged.  
  
"Let me call my mom first," Kari said pulling out her metallic hot pink cell phone. She dialed her home phone number. It rang two times before then her mother picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Mom, it's me Kari. Can T.K. and Yamazaki, a boy from class, need to come over after school so we can work on a bake sale event thing?"  
  
"What about Volleyball?" Mrs. Kamiya asked.  
  
"After that too," Kari replied.  
  
"Will you be cooking today?"  
  
"I don't know," Kari said truthfully  
  
"Ask your friends while I wait on the line," Mrs. Kamiya said.  
  
Kari covered the mouthpiece of her phone and talked to the group about cooking.  
  
"We might mom," Kari said into her phone.  
  
"Okay, I'll get the ingredients, what do you need?"  
  
"Eggs, milk, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips." Kari said. After giving her mom a list of ingredients, Kari's mom said, "Kari I have to talk to your brother, he's calling my cell, I talk to you later sweetie, bye."  
  
"Bye mom," Kari said. Turning off her cell phone she looked at them, "Mom said yes. She's going to get the ingredients we need for do some experimental cooking. We might want to check out some cookbooks from the library and stopped by your homes and get some that your family own." They nodded and both pulled out their cells to call their parents.  
  
When they were done they stared at the table. "What should we do now?" Yamazaki finally asked.  
  
"Brainstorm," T.K. said firmly.  
  
"Yeah definitely," Kari said perking up, " You're such a genius T.K."  
  
"Such flattery," T.K. said imitating Rei. Suddenly Rei walked in and Kari looked up. "T.K. I forgot Rei's in our class," she looked around, "We're the only group with three people. She's going to be in our group." T.K. bit his lip.  
  
The teacher said, "Rei how nice of you to finally join us, how was the orthodontist appointment?"  
  
Kari racked her brain to see if she remembered what group the principal put Rei in. In her mind the principal said, "Takeru Takaishi, Kari Kamiya, Yamazaki Watobe, and. and. and Rei Tokuse (pronounces t-coo-say)."  
  
"T.K., she's in our group," Kari groaned. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly called her mom's cell.  
  
"Yes Kari?"  
  
"Mom, it appears that the last member of our group was absent when I called you fifteen minutes ago. Rei Tokuse is also coming over."  
  
"Isn't she the leader of T.K.'s fan club?" Mrs. Kamiya asked. Kari could tell she was driving to the market because of the traffic in the background.  
  
"Yeah," Kari said. Her mother made a disgruntled noise from the back of her throat and then spoke in a disgusted voice, " That girl is soooo stuck up. I dislike her mother too. Always telling me how you shouldn't be so rude to her daughter. You! Ha! She also is always telling me how Rei and T.K. would make such a cute couple. Always telling me to tell you to butt out of T.K. and Rei's relationship. But if she must come over fine." Now Kari loved her mother but right now her heart was bursting with pride that her mother didn't like Rei or her mother.  
  
"Mom?" Kari asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Could you repeat what you said about her to T.K.?" Kari asked looking at Rei who was talking amicably to an extremely bored T.K. who was now doodling on the corner of his packet.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Great hold on." Kari leaned closed to T.K. and whispered in his ear, "Mom wants to share her personal opinion about Rei with you." T.K. grinned and took the cell she was handing him. This made Rei stopped talking and immediately start to glare at Kari fiercely.  
  
"Hello?" T.K. said.  
  
"Hi T.K." Kari's mom said.  
  
"Hi Mrs. Kamiya."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Your mother?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Well, Kari wants me to tell you what I think about Rei and her mother so her goes." Her voice instantly changed to the disgusted one she had used before as she once again made a disgruntled noise from the back of her throat. " That girl is soooo stuck up. I dislike her mother too. Always telling me how Kari shouldn't be so rude to her daughter. Kari! Ha! She also is always telling me how Rei and you, T.K. would make such a cute couple. Always telling me to tell Kari to butt out of you and Rei's relationship. But if she must come over fine." T.K. burst out laughing and Kari joined him.  
  
"T.K." Kari's mom said in her normal voice, "I'll see you later."  
  
"O- o- okay," T.K. said his face turning red and his eyes filling with tears. Kari was in the same state as she took the phone back and said, "I love you mom, bye."  
  
"I love you too. Bye honey." Kari put her cell away and clutched her stomach. "I can't breathe," she choked out.  
  
"Me neither," T.K. said tears streaming down his face. "Your.your.your mom. she's so. she's so. funny."  
  
"I know," Kari said as her tears began to form a little puddle on the table. Rei and Yamazaki fumed from across the table. Even as they started to Brainstorm what they were going to make while Rei surveyed the packet neither T.K. nor Kari could stop laughing and thus when they were done brainstorming the paper was drenched and the pen was running because of the tears that kept falling on the paper.  
  
"I'll. I'll copy it onto.onto a dry piece of paper," Kari said still laughing as she pulled out a piece of paper and started to write again. By this time neither Kari nor T.K. had any tears left to fall, and their stomachs were hurting so much that if they didn't know why they would have thought they had some fatal stomach disease. Their faces were extremely red and Rei and Yamazaki's faces were so red they could have passed for a fire hydrant. T.K. whipped out a camera and a before they could do anything he took a picture.  
  
Kari finally finished the brainstorming list and she stuck it in her new binder. The binder she was going to use for this bake sale was a one and half inch binder that had already been stocked with paper, mechanical pencils, lead, eraser replacements, colored pencils, and markers. There were also some separators with the paper tabs ready to be written on and slipped in place. Along with all those there was a scientific calculator and some other things she might need in a binder. She always made one of these and stuck it in her locker in case she ever needed an extra binder.  
  
After class Kari's eyes once more glazed over and T.K. resumed to being his dazed self. After school Kari went to the gym and changed for Volleyball practice. Pulling on the white shorts and sweater with blue trim and over the shorts a pleaded skirt with a blue trim. Putting her tennis shoes on and pulling her hair back into blue hair band she left the girls' changing room.  
  
*************************  
  
"Go ahead and warm up girls," Mrs. Kuchida (the Math teacher) said as she walked in wearing a sweat suit instead of her black slacks and white long sleeve button up shirt. In place of high heels she wore walking shoes and hanging around her neck was bright gleaming silver whistle.  
  
Kari got out a volleyball and even though she was dazed she hit the ball expertly performing excellent saves and spikes. T.K. watched from the bleachers. Finally after 10 minutes of that Mrs. Kuchida called them all together and told them line up on the wall. She took a ball and called each girl forward one at a time and threw the ball to her so they could show how they were doing. There were 18 girls and out of them Kari was the eighth to go. Rei went before her.  
  
Rei hit the ball with ease getting applause from every girl (except Kari) every time she did. Kari glanced at T.K. who was looking bored on the bleachers. Rei finished.  
  
"Kamiya!" Mrs. Kuchida called from across the gym. T.K. perked up as Kari ran to her place and when the ball came towards her she backed up and hit it perfectly. She heard applause behind her. This went on as Kari demonstrated a spike, bop; two saves and ran across the court to get some of the balls Mrs. Kuchida threw. There was one problem with the applause. It was louder than Rei's had been and when T.K. whistled, that didn't help Kari's situation. When Kari went back to the wall and sat Rei glared at her. Finally she sneered, "You think you're so good don't you? Well you haven't seen the worst of it." After that the coach divided the group into two teams. Kari was on the same team as Rei. Mrs. Kuchida blew her whistle. Kari served. The play ended, Kari's team got the point. As time progressed Kari was soon in the front with Rei beside her. The ball came at them.  
  
"Got it!" Kari yelled as she jumped to spike it. Rei jumped and shoved Kari toward the ground and missed it intentionally. Kari fell hard on the ground.  
  
"Tokuse! What was that?" Mrs. Kuchida yelled while some girls helped Kari up.  
  
"Kari said she had it miss," Rei said evilly.  
  
"Well how come you didn't get it when she fell?" the coached yelled.  
  
"Well, I thought it was a rule that when someone yelled 'I got it!' we shouldn't take it from them," Rei replied.  
  
"If you pay attention to that rule in a game we'll definitely lose!"  
  
"Yes Mrs. Kuchida," Rei said. The next play started. It headed for them again. Neither Kari nor Rei moved. "I got it!" Kari yelled after it appeared Rei wasn't going to do anything. She ran towards the middle where the ball was headed. Rei did to and as Kari jumped and hit the ball over something crashed into her arm. She fell this time landing on her feet. Kari scored and the team rotated. Fina, a nice blonde-haired girl with brown eyes, served.  
  
It was set in play and everything was going well until the ball headed yet again for Rei and Kari.  
  
"Got it!" Kari yelled. She moved over and few steps and jumped. Suddenly out of nowhere Rei crashed into Kari's side and Kari flew with a loud 'CLANG!' into the bleachers. Rei hit the ball and scored, as everyone was too busy staring at Kari to stop it. T.K. ran down the metal steps of the bleachers until he was right beside her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"No, my side, I heard a cracking sound," Kari said blinking back the tears that were trying to surface. But no matter how hard or fast she blinked the tears leaked out anyway.  
  
T.K. stood up; "Rei how could you? You heard her say she had it and you just charged at her. You evil sadistic witch!" Rei who had been trying to suppress a grin burst into tears.  
  
"Takaishi!" Mrs. Kuchida barked, "Take Kamiya to the nurse!"  
  
"Yes ma'am," T.K. said lifting Kari and glaring at Rei. Kari whimpered into his shirt. He carried her out of the gym and to the nurse who told Kari to where a brace for a couple of days. She fitted her with one. It was like a girdle except it didn't squeeze. It kind of supported her.  
  
"Thank you Nurse Yousedoi (Yo-say-doy)," T.K. said bowing as he helped Kari down the hall and back to the gym. For the remainder of practice Kari held an ice pack to her side and lay on the metal bleachers with her head in T.K.'s lap who spent the rest of the practice glaring hatefully at Rei. When practice was over Mrs. Kuchida called Rei over to where T.K. and Kari were. Her eyes still held tears.  
  
"Takaishi, why did you yell those things at Rei?" Mrs. Kuchida asked.  
  
"Don't tell me you didn't see that," T.K. said angrily.  
  
"See what?"  
  
"See Rei plow into Kari like a cow after Kari said she had the ball! She was grinning at the ground while everyone was staring at Kari. She meant to do it! She's been doing things to Kari all practice just because Kari's a better volleyball player."  
  
"She's a show off. And I never meant to hit her," Rei protested.  
  
"Yes you did," T.K. spat, "You were grinning. Let's ask some of the players and see what they saw. Fina!" the blonde whirled around. "Yes?" she called.  
  
"Was Rei grinning after she bashed Kari into the bleachers?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you see her shove Kari towards the ground and intentionally miss the ball the first time it came at Kari and her?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you see her try to knock Kari down the second time but only crash into her arm after she had hit the ball?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"See!" T.K. yelled. "Witnesses! Witnesses!" He questioned two more girls before saying, "She is an evil sadistic witch and I will never date her! She can stalk me and dream all she wants but I will never date her!" Rei burst out into fake tears. "Don't pretend to be hurt! If anyone should be crying here its Kari! You don't know how hard of an impact she made when you did that. The bleachers shook you hit her so hard!"  
  
Mrs. Kuchida finally spoke, "Rei, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put you on probation for as long as it takes for Kari to recover. I'm very disappointed in you!"  
  
"You.you mean I can't play Volleyball until Kari recovers?" Mrs. Kuchida nodded. "What! Kari's the evil sadistic witch! She's a show off! She trying to out do me so T.K. will want to go out with her!"  
  
"You evil-" T.K. began but stopped when Kari spoke, "That's not what you said yesterday Rei! Yesterday you said T.K. was your man. I didn't argue. He may be your man but he is my best friend." (A/N. You go girl!)  
  
"But if he's going to be your man, you treat him with respect and dignity. He probably would have lost enough dignity if he were going to your level to find a date. I can't believe you sink so low as to attack his best friend," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Matt and Tai were standing in the doorway.  
  
"Matt, Tai. When did you get here?" T.K. asked. "I thought we were walking home."  
  
"You were but mom called me on my cell and told me to come get you guys. I had to drive all the way from Kichi's house and you know how far away that is. Come on," Tai said as he came over to pick Kari up. She whimpered again.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tai asked. But Kari did not answer him. Instead she buried her face in his chest and cried. T.K. got their bags and with the help of Matt carried them to Tai's car.  
  
"Kari?" Tai asked as T.K. climbed into Tai's Porsche after putting their things in the trunk. Rei and Yamazaki were already sitting there with their things in their laps. Both were looking down cast. "Do mind if you sit on T.K.'s lap?" Kari shook her head and Tai placed her gently in T.K.'s arms. Like she had done with Tai she snuggled her face into T.K.'s chest and cried silently shaking slightly.  
  
T.K. hugged her. The down cast Rei, who was sitting in the middle attempted to lean on T.K. for comfort but he pulled away angrily and stared down at his injured best friend. "It's okay Kari. It's okay," T.K. said as he hugged his best friend again. Suddenly he thought of what Patamon had told him earlier came back. His face became warm as he thought about having a crush on his best friend. Gatomon and Patamon came running (or flying) into the open door.  
  
Patamon settled on T.K.'s white hat again and whispered, "Is she okay?" Gatomon bounded into Kari's lap and hugged her. "Kari, I'm so glad you're okay," Gatomon said. "We just found out what happened from Tai and Matt." As she said this Tai and Matt pushed their seats back and climbed into the front seats. Starting up the car and leaving the parking lot Tai streaked Kari home. While he drove Kari leaned against T.K. looking out the window while hugging Gatomon like a three year old snuggling with their stuffed animal.  
  
When they reached the apartment complex Tai and Matt took T.K. and Kari's things up while T.K. carried Kari up the stairs.  
  
"Thank goodness for Basketball and training," he thought as he carried her up. The still down cast Yamazaki and Rei (feeling even more down cast after being refused by T.K.) followed not far behind. When they walked into the Kamiya apartment Kari's mother dropped her cookbooks on the counter and rushed to hug and kiss her daughter. While she said good-bye to Tai and Matt she glared unrelentingly at Rei.  
  
"Kari do you still want to cook?" Mrs. Kamiya asked anxiously. Kari nodded. "Do you want to take some pain relievers?" Mrs. Kamiya asked in the same worried tone. Kari nodded and her mother hurried to the kitchen getting a glass of water and two pills for her daughter. Kari swallowed the pills and a couple minutes later got off the couch (where T.K. had laid her) and pulled out their brainstorm list.  
  
For the next four hours the foursome cooked without rest testing their final products on Kari's parents. After their four hours of labor and testing about a third of the things on the list the group's list hadn't changed except for a few tiny notes made on the first five. Where it had formally been:  
  
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies 2. Sugar Cookies with homemade frosting 3. Brownies 4. Cupcakes-homemade frosting 5. Doughnuts-homemade frosting 6. Pies 7. Ice Cream Sandwiches 8. Ice Cream Bars 9. Popsicles 10. Shakes with a twist 11. Smoothies 12. Lemonade with limes 13. Pastries  
  
It was now:  
  
1. Chocolate chip Cookies 2. Sugar Cookies with homemade frosting 3. Brownies 4. Cupcakes-homemade frosting 5. Doughnuts-homemade frosting (small) 6. Pies 7. Ice Cream Sandwiches 8. Ice Cream Bars 9. Popsicles 10. Shakes with a twist 11. Smoothies 12. Lemonade with limes 13. Pastries  
  
Tomorrow they would come back to Kari's house and do the next five and brainstorm some more bake sale ideas. Though Kari thought she could never like Rei especially after what she did to her today to Kari's surprise she found Rei very pleasant to work with in the kitchen. She was an excellent cook and really nice when she wasn't competing for T.K.  
  
So far Kari's parents had like most of the things they tried. Though the adults never got to taste the doughnuts, they never finished, Kari and the others were going to do the first five again with different frostings, which Kari would make at the beginning of tomorrow's cooking lesson. They spent 30 minutes cleaning up and then collapsed in the living room to decide on the ingredients they would need for tomorrow.  
  
"Definitely more of what we had today," Rei said. "If were going to remake all the recipes with different kinds of icing. Kari what do you need to make the icing?"  
  
"Well, before I can tell you that we need to figure out what icing flavors we want. We'll also have to go check out some pastry books tomorrow. If someone would please find maybe at the least three different glaze recipes that would also be nice."  
  
"How about chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry for our icings?" Yamazaki suggested. Everyone agreed and Kari wrote down Hershey's kisses, vanilla extract, and various other items to make the chosen icings.  
  
"Great," Rei said watching what Kari wrote over her shoulder. "Now that we've got that we can list what we might need for the next two or three items." They did so and so they had a nice list with which they gave to Mrs. Kamiya.  
  
"Mom, how much did you spend on groceries for our project today?" Kari asked.  
  
"$45.69, why?" Mrs. Kamiya asked surveying the ingredient list.  
  
"Because, " Kari said, "we need to document how much we're spending for this project. First reason is because they gave us a budget, they second reason is so they can reimburse the parents that paid for the necessities up front." She walked back into the living room and sat down stiffly on the couch.  
  
Rei winced but her hands hovered over her laptop. She had readied a spreadsheet with the necessary formulas.  
  
"$45.69," Kari said. Rei's hands flew across the keyboard as she typed in the amount. Everyone looked at her.  
  
"That leaves us with a balance of $454.31," Rei said as she saved the document and turned off her laptop.  
  
"Great," Kari said. "Now, we can always ask for a raise of our budget if we do some extra work for a week and get top marks so don't worry if we're about to run over a little." There was a knock on the door. Mrs. Kamiya answered.  
  
"Hello," they heard her say. A minute later a blonde woman and a brunette woman stepped into view.  
  
"Rei, are you ready?" asked the blonde who was obviously Mrs. Tukose and that meant the brunette was Mrs. Watobe. Yamazaki and Rei got up and grabbed their things.  
  
"Bye guys," they said as they put on their shoes and left. T.K. and Kari talked until 11pm when T.K. had to use the bathroom. When he returned he saw Kari lying on the floor asleep. Smiling, he moved her to her bed and left.  
  
******************  
  
The next day Kari dressed in the school uniform. The green skirt and blouse with white trigging and white socks with brown loafers. By the time Kari got to school the news of her injury had traveled fast. She was hugged carefully by the other uniformed students. When she got to her locker (Tai carrying her things) she had to remove seventeen bags of candy with get well cards attached. When Kari went into Math, the teacher Mrs. Kuchida present Kari with an empty bag and told Kari to put all her presents in it. She had to ask Mrs. Kuchida for three more as the gifts on her desk were over flowing and on the floor and surrounding desks. And the Math teacher did not assign any homework  
  
In English she found more gifts for her had been left with the teacher. Presented in one and a half bags. Other students were carrying the other bags in. The bags sat beside Kari as she waited for her mother to come. Today she had a doctor's appointment.  
  
When the nurse came to inform Kari her mother was here the teacher assigned eight people (all guys) to carry her things to her mother's car. Kari went quickly to the nurse's office where her mother was waiting. The nurse checked her out and she left the school with her mom. The guys loaded all the bags into the truck and T.K. handed her a book with a pink ribbon tied around it.  
  
"Bye Kari, I'll put your stuff up for you," T.K. said. "When you get back, tell me how it went." Kari nodded and hugged her best friend. By the time they got the doctor's office Kari was trembling. "I sure hope they don't have to give me a shot," she thought as she climbed out of the car and walked towards the building. Upon going inside the building her mother and her rode the elevator up to the fifth floor.  
  
Mrs. Kamiya went up the receptionist told her that Kari was there for her doctor's appointment. Kari on the other hand was still holding the book watching Gatomon (who she had left at home, or at least thought she had) pace the floor. Finally getting bored with her Kari removed the ribbon and opened the book and saw that it was like a scrapbook T.K. had made. Though it wasn't the best skill it was still pretty and Kari was so happy she forgot where she was and started to cry.  
  
"Kari, the doctor will see you now," a woman in white said. Kari scrubbed the tears out of her eyes and off her face and walked in calmly followed closely (so close she was tripping) by Gatomon and her mom behind her. After the normal weight, height check up they went into an office and waited. While they waited Kari looked at the scrapbook examining each page thoroughly. Kari started to cry just as the doctor came in.  
  
"Does it hurt?" he asked. Kari looked up and took in his sandy brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white coat over his red shirt and jeans.  
  
"No, my.my.my best friend.he.he just.just made me.a scrapbook of things.of things we did and.and still do together," Kari said through her joyful tears. The doctor took the book and opened it. "Wow. A guy made this?" he asked. "What's his name?"  
  
"T.K. well that's actually his nickname. His real name is Takeru Takaishi. He's has messy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes and some well-developed muscles. He's not a muscle man or anything oh no. He's basketball player. He's really nice and thoughtful and he's really kind too. But he's also deep. He's very deep and though he doesn't get upset easily some things do get him upset and then he like breaths fire. It's so awesome." While she had been saying those things the doctor had been examining her. He lifted her shirt and put the flat metal plate on her back. "Who's the brown-haired kid beside you in the picture?"  
  
"That's my brother Tai. Very courageous and always has a plan of action. Though sometimes they're not the best things to do." The doctor laughed. "And the spiky blonde beside T.K.?"  
  
"That's T.K.'s brother (A/N. or is it half-brother? I can never remember. If someone would please tell me which one so I can get it right I'd be very thankful.) Matt. Tai and him are best friends." After a few examinations the doctor asked, "How did this accident happen?"  
  
Instantly Kari's eyes darkened as she replied, "Rei Tokuse, a girl from my school, is the leader of T.K.'s fan club. She thinks I want to take T.K. away from her or some how manipulate T.K.'s mind by showing off in front of him at Volleyball practice. Well we were practicing one on one with the coach and being called forward to practice some things, Rei got some applause but I got more. She got angry and when we started to practice team against team, we made it all the way up to the front row, no problem. But once we were there, the troubles started. The first time the ball came towards us I jumped to get it she jumped also and pushed me down while missed the ball intentionally. The second time, though I did manage to hit the ball she crashed into my arm. The third time when I went for the ball, she went for it also though she heard me say I had it.  
  
"She crashed into me and I flew sideways into the bleachers. She of course scored, because everyone else was too busy staring at me to stop the ball. While Rei was trying hard not to grin, T.K. was asking how I was doing. I told him I heard a cracking sound and then he got extremely upset at Rei and called her an evil sadistic witch. Then she burst out into tears and T.K. said that I should be the one crying, not Rei, and I was crying, but not because I wanted too. T.K. carried me to the nurse and she said I needed to wear a brace for a few days. She fitted me with a temporary one until I went to the doctor." The doctor nodded.  
  
"Well, let me go get that brace for you and I'll be right back."  
  
"That evil witch," Kari's mom hissed after the doctor had left. She had been looking at the scrapbook T.K. had made for her. After having the brace put on the doctor said, "Like the nurse said all you have to do is wear this brace for a few days. All that happened when you hit the bleachers was that one of you bones popped out of alignment. It's not out too far, just a little, so if you wear this for a couple of days and don't do any running or sports, don't carry heavy things or eat more than you want, you should be back to your normal life style in no time." Kari nodded. "Thank you," she said.  
  
He said, "Schedule another appointment for Monday to have it removed. If you feel any pain just take some aspirin. I'll see you soon Kari." Mrs. Kamiya nodded now and while ushering Kari out the door said, "Thank you." Mrs. Kamiya did indeed set up a second appointment for Kari at 11:10 Monday morning.  
  
"Where do you want to eat?" Mrs. Kamiya asked once they were on the road again.  
  
"I don't know, how about McDonalds?" Kari mumbled looking at her album again.  
  
"McDonalds it is!" Mrs. Kamiya said. Kari stared at a picture that they had taken with the whole digidestined team. Her eyes were fixed on her and T.K. who were at the front of the group arms around each other grinning while a dejected Davis stood beside her arms folded. She thought of her 'intimate crush' on T.K. It couldn't really be true could it? Having a crush on her best friend was completely preposterous. Was it? Suddenly a memory flooded her mind.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
T.K.: You're going to give up? Just like that? Listen Kari; I care too much about you to let you go without a fight!  
  
Kari: Huh?  
  
***End of Flashback***  
  
That had been back when she first went to the dark ocean. And what had she said later on that day when he came to rescue her?  
  
***Flashback***  
  
Kari: T.K., remember this morning when you said you cared about me? What did you mean by that?  
  
T.K.: Uh, you know, it meant, uh, stuff.  
  
Kari: Well ya know what? I really care about you to.  
  
***End of Flashback***  
  
But that was caring about him like a friend right? If this was going to be what she was going through over the next couple years she might as well have been drowning in the dark ocean. And yes, though Gatomon was shining a little light, she still would have found it more profitable to be stumbling through pitch-black caverns trying to reach the light taunting her above. Did Tai go through this? "Maybe I'll ask mom later," she thought.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Gatomon asked staring at her thoughtfully.  
  
"What? Oh nothing," Kari said in a distant tone.  
  
"Yes you are. Is it T.K.?" Gatomon asked bluntly. Kari's heart stopped.  
  
She smiled at her digimon before saying, "You're good. I was thinking about our adventures in the digital world."  
  
"Liar," Gatomon said. "What were you really thinking about?"  
  
"Okay, okay. I was thinking about something T.K. said to me three years ago," Kari confessed.  
  
"What was it?" Gatomon pushed.  
  
"Well, it was the first time I went to the dark ocean, when T.K. asked me if I was just giving up. And then he told me that he cared to much about me to let me just disappear," Kari replied but quickly added seeing the mischievous glint in her digimon's eye, "But it's nothing."  
  
"You were thinking about what I told you the other day weren't you?" Gatomon asked.  
  
"No," Kari said defiantly. They stopped at a McDonalds and Kari got out of the car. She looked at the green skirt she was wearing and smoothed the wrinkles on her white blouse (A/N. That was the uniform Sora wore in the second season, wasn't it?). Gatomon hopped out and together they went in. After eating Kari stopped by her house to get the recipe books, went back to school, and was just in time for Geography, though she was 20 minutes late.  
  
After checking in she went down the halls and found her locker. She opened it. A mountain of presents fell out of it knocking her over in the process. She heard a laugh and looked around to see T.K. walking towards her. Her entire body was covered by presents except her head, legs, and arms. Holding down his hand, T.K. helped Kari up from the mess.  
  
"How'd it go?" T.K. asked as her helped her pick up the presents and shoved them back into her locker.  
  
"I have to wear it for a few days. Can't eat too much, lift heavy objects, no running, and no sports. By the way," she gave him a peck on the cheek and he blushed. "Thanks for the scrapbook."  
  
"Yeah well, I've been working on it for a couple years. If you don't like it I can-" T.K. said still red.  
  
"Like it?"  
  
"Do you like it?" T.K. asked hopefully.  
  
"Like it? No." T.K. looked as though someone had punched him in the stomach. "Love it? Yes." He grinned. "Really?" She nodded, pulling out her books. The two walked beside each other to Geography.  
  
"Mrs. Kamiya, how nice to see you. How was your appointment?" the teacher asked when she saw Kari.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Well, T.K. can tell you what we're doing," the teacher replied.  
  
"Well, we're just brainstorming some new recipes," T.K. replied as he gave Kari his chair and pulled up another one for himself. "What have we got so far guys?"  
  
"We've got a list," Rei said shoving it across the table. This one said:  
  
White Macadamia Nut Cookies Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies Ginger Snaps Gingerbread Men  
  
"I know they're a little out of season but hey it's just brainstorming," Rei said pointing to the Gingerbread Men.  
  
"Well," Kari said as she pushed the stack of recipe books to the center. "Let's look through these and see if we can't lengthen that list." They nodded, and all grabbed a book, and began to flip through them.  
  
Kari, who was looking through Mrs. Fields Cookie Book (ignore the title if Mrs. Fields isn't in Japan), said, "Hey look at these. Chocolate-Glazed Shortbread Cookies." The group leaned over and examined the cookies half (long ways) covered in chocolate.  
  
Rei wrote it down and then said, "And if we did chocolate cookies and half covered them in white chocolate, we're set."  
  
"What about these Cinnamon Maple Rings?" Kari asked turning the book around so everyone could see the mini cinnamon rolls. She turned the page as Rei wrote it down and then said, "Hey an icing recipe for Gingerbread Men." She again showed the book to the others and Rei proceeded to sigh. "Even though I wrote Gingerbread Men, down it's a relief that we have a recipe. Gingerbread Men are not my strong point."  
  
"Candy Bar Cookies," T.K. said staring at The Pillsbury Bake-off Cookbook. "There's no picture, but let's try these anyway." Rei nodded and wrote them down. "And then Starlight Mint Surprise." Rei wrote it down too.  
  
Suddenly Yamazaki laid down his book and said, "You guys we need to rent space for our bake-sale." Everyone became silent.  
  
"No, problem," Kari said laying her book on the table and pulling out her laptop. She quickly signed on ignoring the announcement that she had more mail. She typed rapidly while Rei pulled out her own laptop and signed online also. While they did that T.K. and Yamazaki to returned searching, T.K. writing down the things they found.  
  
12 minutes later Kari said, "I found one!" She pulled out her cell. "I'm going to call and see how much this person wants for it." She dialed the number. "775-2364."  
  
"Hello?" a pleasant sounding female voice said.  
  
"Yeah, I just saw your ad for a small space available for rent on Main Street. I was wondering how much your were charging for it. Please. I am a sophomore at Odaiba High and our school is doing something to help our community and we need a place where we can set up a bake sale. We only have $500," Kari pleaded.  
  
"Well, in that case I'll let you rent it for $33 a week," came Kari's reply.  
  
"Really? Thank you Mrs."  
  
"Lambert."  
  
"Yes, thank you Mrs. Lambert."  
  
"Now, I must tell you the place needs a little work. So you might have to do some things before you can open up for business. There is a kitchen, a cabinet and refrigerator that does work. There is also a small office. Let's see, you're in school right now, so how about I meet you and your bake sale group at about 4:15?"  
  
"Okay, that'll work. Thank you Mrs. Lambert!" Kari said and hung up with a huge grin. "For $33 a week we can rent this place." Rei typed that in on the spreadsheet and said, "After paying this week's rent we have $421.00 left for the other things. In the first week we'll have to make enough money to cover rent and ingredients for the next week." Kari bookmarked the website and turned off her laptop putting it away. T.K. pushed the brainstorm list over to the girls. They had checked through all the books on the table and found that only three of them contained things that they needed.  
  
Kari and Rei looked over the list. This is what they saw in addition to the ones above:  
  
Mrs. Fields Cookie Book:  
  
Chocolate Cream Filled Hearts Chocolate Sandwich Cookie (We can reverse) Surprise Filled Cookies Lemon Cream-Filled Cookies Carmel Filled Brownies Peanut Butter & Jelly Squares Mocha Mousse Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Classic Apple Pie Carrot Cake Chocolate Macadamia Cream Satin Cream Chocolate Fantasy Baby Banana Cream Pies  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The Pillsbury Bake-off Cookbook-109-133  
  
Chewy Microwave Granola Bars Peanut Blossoms Easy Lemon Sours Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies Chocolate Mint Parfait Bars Treasure Chest Bars Rocky Road Fudge Bars 135-159 Japanese Fruit Marble Cake Mardi Gras Party Cake 161-186 Lemon Fudge Ribbon Pie Peaches and Cream Crescent Dessert Spicy Apple Twists Fudge Marble Cheesecake  
  
-----------------------------  
  
The Pillsbury Party Cookbook  
  
Pg.52 Roasted Pepper and Pasta Salad Pg.53 Almost Candy Bars Pg.62 Cookie and Cone Clowns Pg. 85 Thick Pan Pizza Pg. 88 Pizza Dippers Pg. 89 Wheel-o'-Fun Cakes Pg. 121 Stars 'n Stripes Cookie Squares  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Our Ideas  
  
Tacos Burritos Nachos Hamburgers Blueberry Muffin Cranberry Muffin  
  
"Good list guys," Rei said. They grinned.  
  
"We're turning this thing into a restaurant," Kari said also grinning. Suddenly everyone looked at her like she was a genius. And she knew why too. "Restaurant," they all said together.  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
Hi guys. If you didn't like the ending sorry, I was out of ideas. I have one for the next chapter though. At least I think I do. Anyway, if you want the recipes to any of the food items I mentioned in this chapter just tell me in a review and I'll post them as a chapter. Thanks for reading and please review. Next chapter out ASAP. This spacing thing is really annoying.  
  
ebacusta 


	3. Let's get down to Business

I'm back after two short days. Did ya miss me?  
  
Kari & T.K.: *nods* ^_^  
  
Davis: *Stands dejectedly a little ways off from Kari and T.K.* Why do they always get to do things together?  
  
Ebacusta: Because this is a Takari you baka!  
  
Davis: *Pulls out a shrink ray and shoots ebacusta with it*  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *In a tiny voice* Why you! *Kicks Davis in shins with a mini kick*  
  
Davis: *yelps and hops around holding his shins* Argh. That hurt, I'll get you for this. *starts chasing Chibi Ebacusta around the room*  
  
Matt: *Trips Davis* You should attack tiny people Davis.  
  
Tai: Yeah.  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *In a cute tiny voice while hiding behind Sora's leg* Yeah.  
  
Sora: You made her cry. *Picks up Chibi Ebacusta and cuddles her*  
  
Yolei: *Glare at Davis* Meanie.  
  
T.K.: *To Chibi Ebacusta* Are you okay?  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *nods*  
  
Sora: *puts down Chibi Ebacusta*  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *rubs against T.K.'s leg like a cat*  
  
T.K. Um.  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *grabs T.K.'s leg and inches up to his waist and falls a sleep*  
  
All Digidestined: Awww.  
  
Kari: Time for the disclaimer.  
  
Ken: *to Izzy* Can I have the honors?  
  
Izzy: Of course.  
  
Ken: Great. Ebacusta owns no part of digimon or the awesome song Believe by Nami Tamaki, though she wished she did.  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *talking in her sleep* Yes *sniffle* I do.  
  
All Digidestined: Awww.  
  
Mimi: Now if I could just do something with Ebacusta's hair.  
  
Joe: Mimi, Chibi Ebacusta's hair is perfectly fine.  
  
Cody: Yes. *looks at watch* We've wasted enough time.  
  
Kari: So it's  
  
T.K. fic time!  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *talking in a cute baby voice while sleeping* Fic time! Fic Time! Bye bye!  
  
All Digidestined: Awww.  
  
Try, Try, Try, Again  
By ebacusta  
Chapter 3  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
"Good list guys," Rei said. They grinned.  
  
"We're turning this thing into a restaurant," Kari said also grinning. Suddenly everyone looked at her like she was a genius. And she knew why too. "Restaurant," they all said together.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Later that day, Kari, T.K. Rei, and Yamazaki all headed towards Main Street, Odaiba.  
  
"I can't wait to see what it looks like," Rei said excitedly.  
  
"You won't have to wait long," T.K. said as they stopped in front of a run down building.  
  
"1883 Main Street, Odaiba. This is the place," Kari said.  
  
"This is the place we rented?" Yamazaki asked astonished.  
  
"Mrs. Lambert wasn't kidding when she said this place needed work, but she said a little work. That was understatement," Kari said. Kari was right. The patio was dusty and covered in a thick layer of wet leaves. The fence's paint was peeling and the gate looked like it was hanging off its hinges. There was a sign that was covered with so much grime it looked about ready to fall off. The windows were dirty and unattractive. But there were some trees in between the buildings.  
  
"Are you the kids from Odaiba High?" a feminine voice said. They turned. A plump woman with curly black hair and piercing blue eyes was walking towards them.  
  
"Um, yes," Rei said gulping. "You must be Mrs. Lambert."  
  
She smiled. "Yes I am. I've come to give you a tour and your keys. I presume you have the money with which to pay me?"  
  
"Um, y-yeah," T.K. said.  
  
"Great, follow me," Mrs. Lambert said as she began to wade through what they could now see as knee deep leaves. Kari and Rei gulped and bent down to take off their socks. Then, lifting the skirts of their uniforms Kari and Rei followed. T.K. was not far behind Kari and Yamazaki waded through beside him. When they emerged into the entry hall of the small building Rei screeched.  
  
"Look at my legs. Look at my legs." Her as well as Kari's legs were covered in dirt and leaves. Kari brushed the things off her legs and looked around the grimy entry hall. In here the paint was peeling even more and the sun had faded the once bright green into a sickening mix between yellow and green. There were two extremely dusty reservation stands.  
  
Next came a very dusty salad bar looking thing and more peeling paint. Then a long dusty counter and two more rooms that didn't really have doors and more peeling paint. There was such a thick layer of dust every where that they were leaving footprints and handprints every where, like they were walking in snow. The restrooms were dirty and in desperate need of cleaning. Plus there was more peeling paint.  
  
The kitchen was not much better; though the refrigerator was full of food covered in mold and the freezer was empty. This got Rei's allergies started up and the stove was such a mess that Kari just wanted to vomit all over it. The dishwasher on the other hand was almost a shiny white. But, the peeling paint was extremely obvious. The storage room was okay except for the peeling paint but inside was many pieces of furniture. Tables and chairs all covered in a very thick layer of dust. T.K. ran his hand over one of the pieces and a nice big dust cloud chased them all out of the room, but not before making them cough so much that their eyes began to water.  
  
The last and final room was the office, which was probably the cleanest room of all. Although there was peeling paint and a thick layer of dust, everything was in working order. The bookshelf was sturdy and dusty and there were some windows that were dirty but not as dirty as the ones in the front. They left the room and came back out behind the counter.  
  
"What do you think?" Mrs. Lambert asked beaming at them.  
  
"It's nice," Rei said forcing a smile and then said out of the corner of her mouth asked Kari, "Do we have to take this?"  
  
Kari replied in the same manner, "It's the only thing we've got." T.K., Kari, and Yamazaki were all wearing identical forced smiles.  
  
"Well, this is a very beautiful place," Kari began. T.K. broke out into a fit of coughs. Kari elbowed him in the side. He winced and stopped immediately. "And were sure this place is in high demand," T.K. had another cough attack and Kari elbowed him again, "and we're sure this is a once in a lifetime chance," T.K. coughed harder and she elbowed him harder, "and we'd really like to take advantage of it so, we'd like to have it," Kari said through her smile.  
  
T.K. leaned close and whispered, "You're lying through your teeth. Literally."  
  
"Shut up," Kari hissed.  
  
"Great!" Mrs. Lambert said. Kari fished the money out of her bag and gave it to her. In return, Mrs. Lambert dropped two sets of shiny golden keys into Kari's outstretched hand.  
  
"Who wants to take pictures?" Kari asked removing the small camera from around her neck. T.K. raised his hand and took the camera. He disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later. He handed the camera back to Kari who placed it around her neck and together they all left the building wading through the knee-deep leaves.  
  
After Mrs. Lambert had left and they had brushed themselves off again Rei said, "First order of business, is to get rid of all those leaves."  
  
"I agree," Kari said as they all walked towards the hardware store. "I say we finish our experimental cooking and then clean up that place. Then we can start decoration and plan our advertising and make up our menu." They nodded in agreement and entered the store. It was an ice cream shop. "First though, let's have ice cream and figure out a list of things we need from the hardware store."  
  
As they sat in a booth and ate their ice cream they came up with a list of things they would need, including paint.  
  
"I say that we get a lilac for the office and a light yellow for the entry and blue for the separate rooms. The bathrooms can be blue and lilac. What do you think?" They nodded and then decided what to buy from a convenience store.  
  
"A rake or two, brooms, All-purpose spray, rags, trash bags, window cleaning solution, a bucket, bathroom cleaning stuff and those toilet cleaner things. Get cheap things though. Things that will last a while but aren't to expensive, so go for the middle." They all got up and left the shop and continued to walk until they got to a hardware store with a convenience store right next to it. T.K. ripped the list in half.  
  
"Kari and I will go into the hardware store, you and Yamazaki can go into the convenience store." They nodded and left. T.K. and Kari entered the store. They immediately headed for paint. They picked up a light blue and lilac and were going to get a yellow when Rei burst into the store and said, "I just remembered, I have a yellow and some other colored paints at home. No blue and no lilac though." So they bought those and left the store with Rei.  
  
Yamazaki was on the sidewalk with rakes, brooms, bags and more things in a bucket at his feet. Splitting up the things needed to take home Kari and the others walked back up Main Street. Kari stopped in front of the building they had now rented.  
  
"Guys, let's put the stuff in here. It's closer than our houses." Even though everyone was reluctant to walk back through the leaves, the followed and laid the things down on the counter.  
  
"Let's take the rakes and garbage bags with us," Rei said. "So we don't have to walk through the leaves to get them. They agreed and took the rakes with them when they left and locked the door. Next they headed to the library and spent some time looking through books and copying recipes. Their newest list was:  
  
The Candy Cookbook: White Chocolate Citrus Truffles Cinnamon Truffles Miniature Peanut Butter Cups Candied Citrus Peel Pretend Soup and other real recipes: Blueberry Pancakes Number Salad Family Circle Best Ever Cakes & Cookies: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Blackberry-Lime Sherbet Mango Mandarin Sherbet Raspberry-Strawberry Sherbet Gingerbread Layer Cake Holiday Truffles Mint Meltaways Celebration Cake w/Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting New York-Style Cheesecake Our Ideas: Chocolate Cake with White Frosting Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies Brownie Cupcakes  
  
When they finally got to Kari's house Kari offered to wash their school uniforms and they could where some of Tai's old clothes until they were done. They agreed instantly and changed. Once Kari had started the washing machine they got right down to work.  
  
"Kari, do you have plastic bags?" Rei asked.  
  
"Yeah." She handed them to Rei and Kari said, "I'll go find this one cookbook. T.K. can you help me?"  
  
"Sure." They searched and found it at the same time under the desk. Kari put her hand down and T.K.'s went right on top of it. They looked at each other and then as if in a trance slowly got closer and closer until there was no space between them. Their lips lightly touched.  
  
"Have you found it yet?" came Rei's voice. T.K. and Kari shot apart and blushing a deep red.  
  
"Yeah." Kari said as she picked up the book and took it into the living room. T.K. followed. By the time they were done, they had finished a sizable chunk of the list. "Why don't we work at my house tomorrow?" T.K. suggested.  
  
Rei replied, "Okay, and we'll work at my house the day after that to make the pizza things and stuff. My mom has a ton of stuff for making that."  
  
"And we can work at my house on Saturday. My mom has way to much ice cream any way," Yamazaki said.  
  
"Great," Kari said. "Rei put in the total spent today at the stores." Rei pulled out her laptop and got to work.  
  
"What was the total?" Rei asked.  
  
"$48.92."  
  
"Total Remaining is $372.08."  
  
"Great."  
  
*************  
  
By Saturday at ten, the group was finished with the experimental cooking. The list of everything they were going to do was:  
  
Chocolate chip Cookies Sugar Cookies with homemade frosting Brownies Cupcakes-homemade frosting Ice Cream Sandwiches Ice Cream Bars Smoothies/Shakes Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies Lemon Poppy Seed/Blueberry Muffins Chocolate Cream Filled Hearts Classic Apple Pie Japanese Fruit Marble Cake Thick Pan Pizza (pg. 85) Pizza Dippers (pg. 88) Tacos & Burritos Hamburgers Spaghetti (Alfredo, tomato sauce, etc.) Miniature Peanut Butter Cups Blueberry Pancakes Chocolate Cake with White Frosting New York-Style Cheesecake Blackberry-Lime Sherbet Mango Mandarin Sherbet Raspberry-Strawberry Sherbet Holiday Truffles Mint Meltaways Celebration Cake w/Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting  
  
"That's a pretty decent sized list," Yamazaki said, "Twenty-eight items. That's a lot. If we rearranged the list maybe it would make more sense. They agreed and got to work.  
  
Lemon Poppy Seed/Blueberry Muffins Blueberry Pancakes Smoothies/Shakes Thick Pan Pizza (pg. 85) Pizza Dippers (pg. 88) Tacos & Burritos Hamburgers Spaghetti (Alfredo, tomato sauce, etc.) Miniature Peanut Butter Cups Holiday Truffles Mint Meltaways Brownies Cupcakes-homemade frosting Ice Cream Bars Ice Cream Sandwiches Blackberry-Lime Sherbet Mango Mandarin Sherbet Raspberry-Strawberry Sherbet Chocolate chip Cookies Sugar Cookies with homemade frosting Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies Chocolate Cream Filled Hearts Classic Apple Pie New York-Style Cheesecake Japanese Fruit Marble Cake Chocolate Cake with White Frosting Celebration Cake w/Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting  
  
"We have a lot of desserts," T.K. observed.  
  
"Of course, this used to be a bake sale. Now, we have them arranged by breakfast, drinks, lunch, and desserts. If we keep this list, we'll price it later. Now, I propose that we go to the building on Main Street and start getting it cleaned up," Rei said.  
  
"I agree," Kari said. "A week from Monday we have to start up our event and we still need to do advertising, decorate the restaurant, setting up our tables and chairs not to mention sweeping and mopping the floors. Then, if we take all the cookbooks with us we can set them up in the office and a receipt-printing thing. Of course that means we'll need a cash box which I have in my room, but I can't climb things so I need someone to get it down for me."  
  
"I'll do it," T.K. volunteered.  
  
"Thanks." Kari followed him to her room and pointed out a metal box at the top of her shelf. T.K. climbed up and got it.  
  
"Great, so does anyone have a receipt-printing thing?" Rei asked.  
  
"I have one at my house," Yamazaki said.  
  
"Then let's go get it," Rei replied.  
  
They left T.K. carrying a backpack containing the cash box, the pictures, and a series of different sized paintbrushes and rollers. Also in the bag were paint peelers, Yamazaki's sketchbook, pencils, and Rei's paint pens. Kari had added some CDs. Kari was carrying the rakes and trash bags.  
  
Yamazaki had been appointed the artist who would draw the pictures for the decoration and Rei and Kari would be doing designs on the walls. They stopped by Rei's house where she picked up her stereo, and some select colored paints. Then went onto Yamazaki's house. When they got there he disappeared and returned a minute later with the machine and some extra paper rolls. They proceeded to downtown Odaiba where they headed for the building. There, T.K. was loaded down with everything while Yamazaki, Rei and Kari work non-stop on clearing a path to the front door. They did so where they proceeded in. T.K. dumped the items in the counter and shrugged off the backpack.  
  
"Okay," T.K. said taking Rei's rake. "Kari and I will be partners and you and Yamazaki will be partners." T.K. handed the rake to Yamazaki. "Decide who's doing what." He turned to Kari. "I'll carry the bags." Kari nodded and followed T.K. outside. They began to work on the right side, which was the bigger of the two halves.  
  
At 12:12 they finished and headed back into the air-conditioned building.  
  
"Why don't we start peeling paint?" Kari suggested. "That way, when we're done we can just sweep up the strips of paint with the rest of dirt on the ground.  
  
"Or, T.K. said, why don't you and Yamazaki go clear out the molding food and Rei and I will start scarping off the paint." T.K. replied. They nodded.  
  
"Fortunately, my brother works around here," Rei said pulling out her own cell phone. "We can use his ladders."  
  
"That works for me," Yamazaki said as he and Kari got up and went into the kitchen. There was the sound of things being tossed quickly into a bag and then 5 minutes later, Yamazaki and Kari reemerged with a tied garbage bag at hand. "While we were at it, we cleaned off the stove," Kari replied as she tossed the bag outside with the others. She was about to close the door when a young man appeared carrying a ladder.  
  
Kari quickly stepped out of the way and allowed him in. He came in and out three times and then left. Rei, who had set up her stereo, picked one of Kari's CDs and put it in her radio. Once the music was blaring at full volume Rei yelled, "Okay, you ready?" Everyone nodded and dived for a paint peeler and ladder. They immediately got into it. Rei and Kari started dancing into to the music while they scraped off paint.  
  
At 2:40, the exhausted group took a break and went down a couple stores to eat lunch. Then they trooped back into the building and once the music was blasting again they got right back to work. By sunset, most of the main room was finished. All that was left was the entry hall and the tired group made plans to meet there tomorrow at 9:00 the next morning and then went in their separate directions towards their houses.  
  
After a shower Kari lay down on the floor looking at the ceiling. Gatomon was eyeing her mischievously.  
  
"What?" Kari asked finally.  
  
"Don't 'what?' me," Gatomon said as she jumped off the desk and sat beside Kari's head.  
  
"I saw you and T.K. kissing on Tuesday."  
  
"You were suppose to be asleep," Kari said turning red.  
  
"Well I wasn't," Gatomon said. "Just because I'm suppose to be doing something doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to do it."  
  
"Gatomon!" Kari said. "I can't believe you! Spying on me!"  
  
"A cat's got to do, what a cat's got to do," Gatomon replied simply.  
  
"And most cats don't have to spy on their owners. What are you going to do now? Hang it over my head?" Kari asked.  
  
"No, I actually wanted to see if you were okay. I know it was an accident but I wanted to see if you had any questions, you know."  
  
"You sound like my teacher," Kari said as she lifted Gatomon onto her chest. "Well I do have something," she said after a moment. "Though it's not a question."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Well, when T.K.'s hand touched mine, I felt this like electric shock. My heart kind of sped up, and then I kind of blanked. I mean I kind of fell into a trance. I was mesmerized by his ocean blue eyes. I was kind of drawn to him. Drawn to his eyes. Like I was slowly falling into a hole. His eyes were deep and I just had this sudden urge to jump into them and drown myself. In his soul. It kind of creeped me out," Kari said thoughtfully.  
  
"That's natural," Gatomon said staring down at her.  
  
"I hope that doesn't happen every time we touch. I never felt it before like when he helped me up at school, or when he's sitting right beside me at lunch. I never feel it then, only when I can, I don't know. Only when I can do something."  
  
"Only when you're alone and you can see your heart's desire clearly?" Gatomon asked.  
  
"What?" Kari asked puzzled.  
  
"When you are at school with T.K. your feelings of being best friends takes over. But when you're in a homier environment by yourself your judgment isn't impaired by the fact that you two are best friends. You only see what you want him to be. Can I ask you what you were thinking at the time?" Gatomon explained.  
  
"Well, I was thinking about how soft his hands were," Kari said.  
  
"Yes, and your heart longed for you to be able to feel the softness of his bare skin on yours. It's a simple desire. It's not that you wanted to go like lay on him or something, no it's more like you just wanted to be closer than what you are now. Do you understand?"  
  
"So, what you're saying is that in a homier environment I don't feel like T.K.'s just my best friend. I want him to be more?" Gatomon nodded. "But how do you know that was my heart's desire then? How do you know I wasn't wishing that we could play basketball?"  
  
"Kari, there's nothing wrong with wanting to date your best friend." Kari sat up and looked at the ground. "Yeah, but what if he doesn't feel the same about me? What if I said I want to be more than friends and he didn't? He liked us exactly where we were? And even if he did like me and we did start to date, what would happen after we broke up if it didn't work out? Our friendship would go down the toilet. I'm not sure I want that to happen, I think I'm going to stay quiet. I mean really, who falls in love with their best friend?" Kari asked laughing. But really she did want to be closer than friends. She wanted to be close enough to tell him her secrets and vice versa.  
  
But then again, she was being unrealistic. He would never fall in love with her. If she told him, she'd be conveying feelings he couldn't return and would feel uncomfortable being around her because he didn't feel the same. It was too complicated wanting your best friend. Yolei was always trying to play matchmaker and before Kari could always brush them off, but now with these feelings it might not be as easy to resist her traps and ignore them like they were nothing.  
  
************************  
  
The next morning, T.K. got up bright and early deciding he was going to take a walk. He took a shower, got dressed, and scribbled a quick note to his mother before leaving the house. It was 5:45 and fog hung in the air obscuring everything except things a few feet in front of him. He walked slowly towards the park lost in thought. Something landed on his head. He reached up for it and pulled it down in front of his face. It was Patamon.  
  
"Patamon?" T.K. asked as he narrowly avoided a tree. Patamon nodded and then curled up to sleep. He walked towards a pond in the middle of the park. As he reached it, he heard a soft rustling in the tree above him and a minute later something fell into his arms knocking him over. The thing groaned and shifted it's position.  
  
"Oh," came a feminine voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean too-" the voice trailed off. "T.K.?"  
  
He squinted through the heavy fog. "Kari?" He sat up, "What are you doing here at," he checked his watch, "six o' five in the morning?"  
  
"Taking a walk, you?" she replied as she moved off him and sat in the grass.  
  
"Same, but it didn't look like you were taking a walk, it looked like you were climbing a tree," T.K. said.  
  
"Well, I was," she said sheepishly.  
  
"I see, and have you forgotten doctor's orders?" T.K. asked.  
  
"Well, he didn't say 'no climbing,'" Kari said.  
  
"Yeah, but he did say 'no sports' and I think climbing is clearly a sport," T.K. said.  
  
"Well. I was kind of hoping no one would catch me and I could get away with it," Kari replied. "I'm hungry." T.K. nodded and they both stood.  
  
"Let's go back to my house," Kari suggested. He nodded again and they both retreated slowly and silently to her house. Upon arriving Kari invited him in and proceeded to make eggs and toast.  
  
"So," she said setting down a plate of toast, "what made you decide to take a walk?"  
  
T.K. shrugged, "Just had things on my mind." Kari nodded and smiled. They became silent and both were feeling rather awkward. Something settled in Kari's mind as a must. But then she was reminded of something. The digital world and that virus. She had forgotten all about that with the bake sale and schoolwork. But what could she really do by herself. If time was going back, that meant File Island would break up again and they would be trapped in the digital world until they could at least defeat Devimon.  
  
If they went by themselves, and they failed somehow. Not necessarily against Devimon, but against someone else. What would happen to the digital world?  
  
A voice spoke. It was Tai coming out of the room she shared with him. "Hmmm. What's T.K. doing here at this hour?" He smiled at Kari mischievously. "What could you two have possibly been doing?"  
  
"Argh! Why is everyone picking on me?" Kari asked. T.K. laughed. Sort of a strained laugh. Kari dumped her plate in the sink and T.K. followed. "T.K. and I are going for a walk."  
  
"Whatever," Tai said as he began to rummage through the refrigerator. Kari and T.K. left the house again and walked in silence to an office building. They entered and went up the stairs (the receptionist wasn't at her desk) to the roof of the building. They sat on the edge, their feet dangling towards the sidewalk four stories beneath them.  
  
"Everyone's been picking on me lately," Kari said. T.K. let out his strained laugh again.  
  
"What is it?" Kari asked. "You don't sound yourself today." T.K. froze. Had he just let Kari know about his feelings for her? Better pretend you didn't do anything.  
  
"Well, you see, I've just been thinking a lot lately. You know about random stuff." A small breeze picked up and began to blow Kari's hair off her shoulders. T.K.'s hair shifted slightly in the wind. He watched her face. The rising sun cast shadows across her body that made her appear almost magically. Her blowing hair just added to the scene. Kari watched silently as the sun rose.  
  
She wished she could take the sun and it's warmth and wrap it around herself. To warm her cold shivering body. To guard it from the fact that she could never tell T.K. her feelings unless she wanted their friendship to end. She wanted the sun to lighten her insides and fill her with a nice glowing feeling. She wanted the sun to protect her from the blizzards of realizations. But the sun would not guard her. Her sun was T.K. Her sun could not save her. She would forever drown in these foreign feelings.  
  
She wanted the sun badly. She wanted to be able to take it with her wherever she went and to hold it close. To put it in her pocket and to bounce it like a ball. To know that if she bounced it against a wall it would bounce right back to her. But that would never happen. A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly turned her head so her sun, T.K. would not see her cry. If her sun saw her cry he wouldn't continue to lighten the day for her. He would feel sad and responsible and she did not want that.  
  
She did not want the clouds of sadness to blot out her sun. Her joy, her happiness. She did not want the clouds of despair to dampen the spirits of her sun. She did not want the clouds of unhappiness to take away from her what she had worked so hard to get. She did not want that. So she hid her tears from him. She brushed them away. But she knew, deep down in her heart that soon her sun would disappear forever, leaving her tangled in the clouds she hated so much.  
  
The more she thought about her sun the more she wanted to cry, but she wouldn't. Not with her sun around anyway. She would wait until it was safe for her to release her feelings and frustrations without anyone knowing. She sat on the building letting the sun dry her tears and drown in her emotions, which the sun refused to evaporate. But these petty feelings did not need to bother their relationship with one another. So she wouldn't let him see her down. No, she would smile until he left her and then her smile would fade and she would crumple and fall into a defenseless crying heartbroken heap.  
  
Then the next day, her smile would return. This would go on for the rest of her life. She didn't know if she could ever get married. Would these emotions let her? The sky had brightened. She looked at her watch. Not time yet. This was why Gatomon wanted to be there for her. To help cushion the blow of T.K. not liking her and never liking her. They would always be just friends.  
  
"Why?" she whispered into her hands as she fought a fresh wave of tears. "Why can't I be with him? God, why do you punish me so? Why?" She needed to release these tears without her sun seeing. In the most level voice she could muster, Kari said, "I'm going to the bathroom." T.K. nodded and she left half-running, the tears already starting to run down her face. She went into a stall, sat on the toilet legs of the ground and cried.  
  
Her feelings of pain and longing echoed through the empty room. Her heart ached at the sound of hearing her pain bounce right back at her. The sun. The sun would never help her. Would never really give her its warmth. No, it might wrap around her, but it wouldn't radiate with heat like it did in the sky. It wouldn't shine brilliantly. No, it would be dull and boring. She couldn't have her way either way she looked at it. When all her tears had finally left her, she returned upstairs and sat.  
  
She was feeling a little perkier now that the weight of her suffering had been lifted off her shoulders. But, she thought, there is always the possibility that he's struggling with his feelings too. I mean he might like me. Maybe I'm not alone. Maybe he'll eventually get the subtle messages I try to send him so he'll respond. Maybe. But knowing T.K., it might take a while for him to even muster up the courage to tell her, much less get subtle messages. She laughed.  
  
"What?" he asked looking at her curiously.  
  
"I was just thinking of your child-like innocence," Kari said as she playfully pulled his cheek. "We'd better get going if we want to go meet Rei and Yamazaki on time." T.K. nodded and the two left the roof, went down the stairs, out the building, and began to walk towards downtown. Each feeling a little happier than they were before.  
  
When they arrived at the building, Rei and Yamazaki were already there. Rei was very excited about something. "I've got it!"  
  
"Got what?" Kari asked curiously.  
  
"The Gundam Seed Original Soundtrack!" Rei said practically screaming.  
  
"That's great," Kari said as she got her ladder and paint peeler. As soon as the music was going again, everyone got right down to work. By 10:45 everyone was really into the music and Kari and Rei were dancing around again. At 11:15 Kari couldn't help herself she and Rei stood on the counter and began to sing Believe by Nami Tamaki. (A/N. Rei is singing what's in parentheses.)  
  
Kari sang: "Kotoba mitsukerarezu  
  
owo wazu fureta katasaki  
  
kimi wa nanimo iwazuni  
  
tsumetaku furi hodoku  
  
Kono sasai ne gokai kara  
  
osanai ai wa fuzureteku  
  
sonna kanashii  
  
kao amita kunai  
  
Yume sae naku shitemo  
  
sono hohoemi dake sutenaide  
  
kono mune kagaya ite ite  
  
Itsuka chigau boku na  
  
kono te de kizuku mirai wa (mirai wa)  
  
kana arezu kono bashou de  
  
kimi ga (kimi ga) doko ni itate  
  
dakedo ima wa futari setsunaku  
  
sorashite hitomi  
  
deaeru koto wo shinjite  
  
Issho ni nagareta hoshi zora  
  
iksumo hikari nagareteta  
  
omoide wa nada kieta ni wa shinai  
  
Mimi wo sumushite nara  
  
Uchibue refuita no uta no  
  
fure zuki koe hajimeru  
  
Sooshite sora no mukou  
  
kokora ga enaku ashita wa (ashita wa)  
  
mo ichido ano basho de  
  
kimi no (kimi no) do nani ni iyou  
  
kitto bokura futarii korekara  
  
Kageruki de yuku  
  
hibini imi ga ru no nara  
  
Itsuka chigau boku na  
  
kono te de kuzuku mirai wa (mirai wa)  
  
kana arezu kono basho de  
  
kimi ga (kimi ga) doko ni itate (itate)  
  
Sooshite sora no mukou  
  
kokoro ga enaku ashita wa (ashita wa)  
  
mo ichido ano basho de  
  
kimi no (kimi no) do nani ni iyou  
  
dakedo ima wa futari setsunaku  
  
sorashita hitomi  
  
deaeru koto wo shinjite."(A/N. Have you ever heard this song? It's awesome. I really wish I did own it. By the way, lyrics found at www.animelyrics.com Parentheses added by me ebacusta. I'm serious, I had to listen to the song over and over again to get those in there. Spacing is a little wacky but I did that so FF.net would leave them alone.)  
  
When she finished Yamazaki and Rei clapped and screamed, T.K. whistled. The two climbed down off the counter and got back to work scraping off paint. They finished the main room including entry hall and spilt into groups of twos to do the other rooms. Those were done by four o' clock and by then everyone was famished. So again they went down the street to eat and were back in less than an hour. There they decided it would be worthwhile to spilt into twos and do two rooms at a time. Kari and Rei did both bathrooms while T.K. and Yamazaki did the storage room and kitchen.  
  
By about 11:20 that night the whole building was finished. No more peeling paint, so they agreed that right after school they would come here and start painting. They also agreed to bring a change of clothes they wouldn't mind getting paint on. Then it was decided that the next day Yamazaki would start his paintings that would be framed and hung from the walls. They waved and left for their houses.  
  
************************  
  
The next day Kari had her braced removed and again got back just in time for Geography. During that period the group work furiously on their laptops designing advertisements. Kari was doing business cards.  
  
"Guys," Kari began, "I've been thinking. What should we play for music? I noticed what looked like an MP3 player in the office. Do you think we should make a MP3 disc for it?"  
  
"That is a good question," T.K. said, "But we can't worry about that now. What we really need to worry about is how we're going to finish all the things we have to do in that place by next week. We still have painting, dusting furnishing, sweeping, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, wiping counters, some how taking down that sign, cleaning that stuff off the windows, washing the bricks free of that stuff. We have a lot to do, not to mention the homework load is not getting any lighter."  
  
Kari leaned close to him and whispered, "Plus we have the problem of the Digital World."  
  
"I forgot all about that," T.K. said. Kari nodded. "So in conclusion," Kari said, "we have to do all the decorating such as painting and designing the advertisments and all that lovely stuff at home whenever we can find time. My thoughts are, if we can somehow get all the painting and stuff done, while it's drying we can be doing the extras that need to be done. Such as, Yamazaki can work on his paintings, I can work on the advertisments, Rei can start planning how she wants to decorate the walls and T.K. can start designing the menu."  
  
"Or," Rei interrupted, "While the paints drying we can do other chores such as dusting, sweeping, wiping down everything, taking down that disgusting sign, and the other things T.K. listed. Kari, until we have completely cleaned the building, we have to keep doing other tasks. We'll have to find time to do the extra necessities at home."  
  
"I guess your right," Kari said. "So, if we split in twos again, we could take it room by room. We'd all have to do the main room together and then split for the rest." They nodded.  
  
"But," Yamazaki spoke, "we have to do the dusting and sweeping first so that way when the paint is drying it doesn't get dust all on the walls. Then we need someone to wipe down all the walls to make sure they're not dirty."  
  
"I have an idea," T.K. said. "Why don't Kari and I get a ride with Matt, and have him drop us off at the building. Kari and I will do the sweeping, dusting, and wall wiping. That way, by the time you two get there it will all be ready for painting." Okay," Rei and Yamazaki agreed. After class Kari and T.K. caught up with Matt, who was being hassled by Jun.  
  
"Matt, Kari and I need a ride to downtown Odaiba after school," T.K. said.  
  
"Okay, lil bro. Right after school. I have to get to Kichi's. Get off me please!" Matt said shaking his arm fiercely trying to get Jun to release.  
  
In Study Hall Kari passed T.K. a note. It said: "T.K. about that problem about not having enough time. We could probably have a sleepover at my house on Friday. Tai said he would be over at Kichi's with Matt and someone else all night. Maybe on Saturday we could have another one at someone else's house. Then, we could stay over at the building working for as long as necessary." T.K. nodded and Kari motioned for him to throw the note to Yamazaki. T.K. wrote at the bottom of the note: "pass to Rei when finished"  
  
Then, making sure no one was watching he threw the note in a perfect arch. It landed right in front of Yamazaki. He opened it and read. Then he passed it to Rei. She read and wrote something on the bottom. She passed it back to Yamazaki who after a minute threw it back to T.K. who caught and read it. He handed it over to Kari. Rei had written: "We can have the second sleepover at my house. Throw to T.K. when finished reading." Kari nodded.  
  
After school, her and T.K. ran down the hall shoved their books into their lockers and ran to meet Matt outside. He looked extremely tired.  
  
"Come on you two," Matt said. They climbed in and Matt drove them to the building.  
  
"You really shouldn't speed," T.K. told his brother as they got out of the car.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, see you later T.K.!" Matt said as he drove off. Kari and T.K. hurried into the building.  
  
"So, about this changing thing," Kari said blushing.  
  
"Yeah, I'll just go over here and you can go over there," T.K. said both forgetting about the fact that there were more rooms. Blushing a deep crimson Kari removed her school uniform and quickly changed into her shorts and shirt. After changing and neatly folding her uniform. "Okay, shall we start?" Kari asked.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Kari went to get it. Ken, Cody, Yolei, Davis, Sora, Tai, Izzy, Matt, and Joe (A/N. I just realized that I made a huge mistake. Joe should have graduated and I wasn't paying attention when I wrote that. So, for the story's sake will you please ignore my minor error?) were all standing there waving. Kari opened the door.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Just thought we'd stop by," Tai said. They all trouped into the main part of the room. "Well," Kari said, "we were just sweeping." She swept once. A huge cloud of dust rose hauntingly from the floor, obscuring the room from everyone. When the cloud cleared, T.K. looked at the ground. The floor was a brown hard stone.  
  
"So that's what the floor looks like," T.K. said. "And here we thought it was just carpet." They all laughed.  
  
"Well," Tai said. "If Matt and I are any later Kichi will kill us." Sora smiled, "Yeah, and I've got to go too." The other digidestined let themselves out. Kari and T.K. started sweeping every so often being crushed by a wave of overpowering dust. She heard T.K. and then she heard a thumping sound.  
  
"T.K., are you okay?" Kari asked as she stumbled blindly through the blizzard. She tripped over something and fell to the ground. When the smoke cleared. Kari looked up. "T.K.! Where are you?"  
  
"Right here." The response was muffled. She looked down.  
  
"Oh," she said, "Sorry." She went to get up but then tripped over the broom and fell back against T.K. "Ahhhh." He caught her and she lay against his chest listen to his heartbeat and the steady rhythm of his breathing. She looked at his face, his eyes. They were so deep. Like an ocean. She breathed his scent. Like lemons. Lemons and roses. She slowly leaned towards him. Closer and closer, and closer, until they touched softly. She suddenly pulled back and blushed a scarlet color. "S-s-sorry."  
  
She picked up her broom and moved to the other side of the room and began sweeping quickly. By the time Rei and Yamazaki got there, T.K. and Kari had finished sweeping and dusting. They were just wiping off the last wall.  
  
"Wow," Rei said. "You did all this in twenty minutes?" The truth was, after the accidental brush of lips, Kari and T.K. had moved at lighting speed and finished everything that needed to be done.  
  
"Um, yeah," Kari said. That was the first thing either of them had said since the accident.  
  
"Goodness," Rei said as she removed some clothing from her bag and went into a separate room to change. Yamazaki went into the kitchen. T.K. and Kari threw their rags on the counter and dug out cans of paint and plenty of paint brushes. After selecting a creamy pink for the main room and a flowing blue for the entry hall, they all got to work.  
  
Rei quickly set up the music and soon it to was on again. By ten that night. They were all covered in sweat, paint, and all of them were hungry and tired. They waved there good byes and after surveying the main rooms once more left the building.  
  
**********************  
  
The next day after school, T.K., Kari, Rei, and Yamazaki entered the building. They quickly changed and each took their own room. By eight that night they had finished painting everything. So, they started clean up. Kari and Rei cleaned the toilets while T.K. and Yamazaki began to polish all the wood. Then the kitchen was cleaned and the office was cleaned. They left that night feeling extremely satisfied.  
  
On Wednesday, Kari and Rei started the designs. Gold was used and they kind of curved lines in a complicated pattern. It looked like gold threads. It took forever, but then.  
  
"Kari, we're out of gold. Could you go get some more?" Rei said.  
  
"Sure," Kari replied. "Come on Gatomon." The cat jumped off the counter and followed Kari out of the building and down the street. After purchasing the gold as Kari was walking back, something wrapped around her waist and neck. Someone pulled on her roughly. She dropped the bag of paint and went to scream but a hand cover her mouth and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't get free. She was pulled down the street, pushed into a car, and tied up tightly around her wrists and ankles. Duck tape was put over her mouth. Gatomon was put inside a cage. The car drove off and Kari blanked.  
  
**********************  
  
"Kari never came back with the gold. Where do you think she went?" Rei asked while they locked up later that evening. T.K. shrugged. The next day after school, T.K. walked to the Kamiya residence. He had told the others to go on ahead. He knocked on the door.  
  
"Hello?" Tai answered. "Oh T.K., come in." T.K. stepped inside the house.  
  
"Is Kari home?"  
  
Tai shook his head. "She never came home last night. We figured she was with you or spent the night at Sora's house or something."  
  
"Nope," T.K. said. Suddenly Gatomon burst into the room. Panting hard she gasped, "Kari's been kidnapped!"  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Hey. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd like to thank Emmy who reviewed my story in an email last night. Thank you. I also hope this ending was sufficient and like the last chapter if you want any of the recipes mentioned in this chappie just tell me in a review and I'll post it in a chapter. Bye.  
  
Kari: Don't forget to check out my talk show coming to a FF.net near you soon. Maybe in a week or so. But soon.  
  
Chibi Ebacusta: *cute baby voice* Bye, bye. Thank you Emmy.  
  
All Digidestined: Awww.  
  
(Chibi) ebacusta *^.~* 


	4. Missing

Hey! Thanks for reading and I'm must tell you I'm in a rush to update. I'll be busy all weekend and my account has been locked until Friday September 12, 2003 at 9:35 am. My busy weekend starts right when I get home from school. I had Kari's Talkshow up but then FF.net took it off because it wasn't a "story." Anyway.  
  
Kari: We're happy you decided to take time to write this ebacusta and we're happy you (the readers) decided to take the time to read it.  
  
T.K.: Yes. Yes. *crying*  
  
Kari: What's wrong?  
  
T.K.: *through tears* This movie is so sad.  
  
Kari: What is it?  
  
T.K.: Where the Red Fern Grows.  
  
Kari: Oh. Turn it off before.before.I start.crying *cries*  
  
Sora: What's going on here?  
  
Kari: This movie is so sad.  
  
Sora: What is it?  
  
Kari: Wh.where the Red Fern Grows.  
  
Sora: Oh. Quickly Ken, Izzy, somebody do the dis.disclaimer *cries*  
  
Cody: (Chibi) Ebacusta owns no part of Digimon. If she did, well, then she wouldn't be writing Digimon FanFics she'd be writing actual stories.  
  
Davis: It's okay Kari. It's okay.  
  
Matt and Tai: The puppy dies.  
  
All Digidestined: *crying*  
  
Kari: *crying really hard* What are you doing read the stupid fic.  
  
T.K.: Fic *hic* Fic Time.  
  
Try, Try, Try, Again  
By ebacusta  
Chapter 4  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Kari never came back with the gold. Where do you think she went?" Rei asked while they locked up later that evening. T.K. shrugged. The next day after school, T.K. walked to the Kamiya residence. He had told the others to go on ahead. He knocked on the door.  
  
"Hello?" Tai answered. "Oh T.K., come in." T.K. stepped inside the house.  
  
"Is Kari home?"  
  
Tai shook his head. "She never came home last night. We figured she was with you or spent the night at Sora's house or something."  
  
"Nope," T.K. said. Suddenly Gatomon burst into the room. Panting hard she gasped, "Kari's been kidnapped!"  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
"WHAT!?!?" Tai and T.K. yelled. "WHERE? WHEN? WHO?" Neither T.K. nor Tai waited for an answer to their questions. They hurriedly put on their shoes and sprinted from the apartment in opposite directions. Gatomon ran at T.K.'s heels. He ran towards the home improvement store. On the sidewalk he saw a bag. He ran over and bent over it. This was Kari's wallet. She must have been taken some where around here.  
  
He was wild. T.K. ran to their building and threw the bag at Rei. He ran out of the building vaulted the fence and ran from as fast and hard as he could towards the school. On the way he ran into every building demanding to see a brown haired girl of about 15. They had all stared at him like he was crazy. He probably was. He had to find Kari.  
  
"I knew I should have gone with her!" T.K. said as he cursed himself for being such a horrible friend. He ran for hours and he went into every building in Odaiba and still hadn't found her. He reluctantly went back home at five till twelve. Actually Matt forced him to go back home. He should have been home an hour ago. Even then as he lay in bed, he tossed and turned he didn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the night and even then he had horrible dreams.  
  
When he awoke the next morning he was twisted up in his covers and covered with an ice cold sweat. He struggled out of his bonds and showered pulling on his uniform and raced to school hoping it would be quick and half hoping that Kari would be there. She was not, but somebody he had never expected to see was.  
  
*********************  
  
Kari walked through the streets followed closely by her kidnappers. She was handcuffed to the woman who looked at her with such innocence Kari would have thought she was a child if she had not known what had really happened. She knew that school was over by now and she was trying to walk towards her building but the woman and man steered her away firmly.  
  
She had struggled many times to get free, but had given up tired and exhausted. She walked towards her house but ended up going into the park. As she was push along someone ran into her and she was thrown back into her captors.  
  
The boy grimaced and without looking at her got up and continued yelling a hurried "Sorry!" over his shoulder. Something about him seemed familiar.  
  
"T.K.!" Kari screamed after the boy. He turned and saw her. She saw a look of relief wash over his face and he ran towards them. The woman ran out of the park dragging Kari with her. The man was not far behind. Kari tried to go against them and eventually they had to pick her up. T.K. lunged and grabbed hold of the man. He yelled at the woman to keep going and she did.  
  
The man rolled, and pushed, and the angry T.K. He didn't wish to hurt the boy so he wasn't making any moves. He pushed T.K. into a tree and ran off. T.K. yelled vainly after him, "What do you want with Kari? Tell me! Tell me!" The man just disappeared into the trees.  
  
T.K. cried out in anguish. This was impossible. He tried to follow the man but by 12 that night when he finally climbed into bed, he sank into a fitful sleep. As he slept he had the weirdest dream. He lay in complete darkness sinking in his own misery. Then the sounds of waves and water lapping against the beach. Suddenly a cool wave of water washed over him.  
  
He woke with a start and stared around the dark miserable place. This, this was the.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
********************  
  
"What? What do you mean both T.K. and Kari are missing?" Yolei yelled.  
  
"Matt and Tai are frantic," Sora said. "I don't think Tai's had a goods night's rest in days."  
  
Cody said, "I think we should just go into the digital world, beat Devimon and worry about T.K. and Kari then."  
  
Yolei yelled angrily at Cody, "What? And forget about my friend? No way!"  
  
"No wait Yolei, Cody is right," Sora said putting a calming hand a Yolei's shoulder. "If we let Devimon run rampant, what are we going to do? At least we know we can stop Devimon. We don't know where the heck T.K. and Kari are. All we know is that they're gone. Kari's been gone for two days and T.K. disappeared last night."  
  
"But-" Yolei protested.  
  
"Just think about it Yolei, think about it," Sora said as she pushed off the wall and walked into the school building. Yolei was about to do the same when Tai and Matt ran past her both looking tired with bags under their eyes. Yolei sighed. Maybe Sora was right. Tai has been searching for Kari for two days and hasn't even found a trace as to where she might be. Who knows where T.K. is?  
  
************************  
  
Tai didn't really pay much in class. The teacher's had delayed his tests since he couldn't really hear what they were saying or see what they were writing. As he passed people whispered about him. No one really talked to him and when he and T.K. had passed in the hallways the day before, a shock of understanding passed between them. Now that happened between him and Matt.  
  
Tai couldn't really help but feel he was partly responsible for the disappearance of T.K. He had after all, been looking for his sister. Many times over, Tai had said to himself, I should have found her first. Crazy images had passed through his head. T.K. being shot in a drive-by shooting. Or T.K. dying trying to defend Kari. Or T.K. falling off a building. But the real answer was a simple as day. T.K. had been kidnapped.  
  
Either because he found where the kidnappers who had Kari were or because someone wanted him for ransom, perhaps because he was getting in the way of something. Matt went insane when he found out. Neither he nor Tai had had much rest in the past few days. Tai hadn't really eaten much either. He mainly just pushed the food around on his plate.  
  
His mother tried to act strong like she knew the police or somebody would find Kari. But he had heard her crying in the dark of night when she thought he was asleep. His father tried in vain to comfort her, but that didn't work. His father was feeling hopeless too. The other digidestined had tried to cheer them both up, but they hadn't gotten together since the Wednesday they had hung the flyers together.  
  
He felt worse when he thought about how easily she got sick. Plus, she was wanted by many digimon. He remembered when she told him she had been to the dark ocean. When he had asked how she told him because she felt powerless to stop the voice that called to her from inside. He was worried that maybe she was there.  
  
He didn't know how to get inside the Dark Ocean. He didn't know his way around and might get lost, and his mother would kill herself if he came up missing too. So he did nothing but search for his little sister and her best friend. The teachers didn't give Matt or him detention because they weren't wearing the school uniform or because they had been wearing the same clothes for a day or two. The teachers were sympathetic they were kind and they tried not to remind them of their lost siblings too much.  
  
They excused him from quizzes and tests so he could take them later once he had caught up. They even gave him leads they had heard from friends and family. The students were kind, some even offered to give him food or buy him lunch. But he simply shook his head and kept staring off into space visualizing a picture of her, T.K., Matt, and himself together arms around each other that was framed on her desk. (A/N. Remember, it's in Kari's scrapbook that T.K. made her)  
  
He hadn't seen Gatomon since Kari disappeared. He was worried about her too. He hadn't been home much so he rarely saw Agumon now. He skipped meetings about their project at Kichi's house. He felt sure that if Kari hadn't disappeared Kichi would have beaten him over the head with a sludge hammer. Now that Matt was skipping meetings also, Kichi and Lola had a lot of work on their shoulders.  
  
But even if he did go he wouldn't be much help. He'd be dazed and not paying attention. He looked at his hands. They were shaking. Where was his crest of courage now? He was scared for his sister and her friend. Shouldn't his crest help him out in some way? He thought it should, but it made no effort to help him so far. A single solitary tear slid down his cheek.  
  
Thinking of his mother trying to act strong for his benefit and then breaking down when she thought he couldn't hear her made him feel worse. Slowly, as if a light began enveloping his darkened heart. A new resolution overcame his head.  
  
"I'll just try, try, try, again," he thought. Without a word, Tai stood up and ran out of the classroom. No one tried to stop him.  
  
************************  
  
Kari sat across the table staring blankly at a boy. Her black dress seemed to be constricting her breath. He stared at her with amber eyes.  
  
"So, what do you like to do?" he asked watching her closely.  
  
"Hang out with my friends," Kari replied shortly stirring her drink around. "What fun this is, what fun, what fun," she thought. "Out of sheer politeness she asked him, "And you?"  
  
"Pretty much the same. I like anime and mangas too," he said in a voice almost identical to T.K.'s. His brown hair kind of jutted out places, as if he had just woken up. "How old are you?"  
  
"Fifteen. You?" Kari asked.  
  
"Seventeen," he said. "I have a little brother. He's over there." The boy said pointing.  
  
"Oh, he's cute. How old is he?" Kari asked.  
  
"Six," the boy told her. They got up and he offered her his hand to dance. She accepted it knowing her kidnappers were watching, smiling. And they thought she had found 'true love.' Ha!  
  
************************  
  
T.K. walked steadily towards the rocks. He had never been to the Dark Ocean before, but he really didn't like it. He began climbing and climbing up onto a cliff. He looked around surveying the darkened rocks, and sea. The black light emitting from what looked like a small city. He turned and looked at the black trees behind him.  
  
"What a miserable place," T.K. said as he climbed down the rocks and set off for the city. The minutes trudged by sluggishly. T.K. tried to busy himself by thinking about what he did with the digidestined but that didn't work. He was constantly reminded that Kari was still missing. She was with that man and woman. Whoever they were.  
  
He reached the outskirts of the town. He looked curiously at the run down buildings with their missing windows. He continued inward toward the heart of the utterly deserted city. Wondering through empty streets T.K. felt like a lost little child. He stopped when he saw a huge, well huge in comparison to all the small buildings, house type structure.  
  
He walked cautiously through the small opening in the wall. Stepping over rubble he explored the first floor. The kitchen with it's strange eating utensils. He walked up the stairs and looked around before leaving. He walked into the center where he found a small broken down fountain. He walked over and peered into it. There was still water in it. He could see his reflection in it.  
  
Who was this staring back at him? This lonesome, sad face, and baggy, tired eyes. This thin face and smaller limbs. This was not him. This sleep deprived person. He was cheerful, active, well rested, and always had a reason to smile. He was never lonesome. He was loved. He loved. Who was this foreign figure standing before him?  
  
He put his hand down to distort the image. This was him. This was him as he was now. Tired, hungry, sad, lonesome, hurt, desperate, and cold. This is what he turned into after the disappearance of his best friend. He had already lost weight. Why shouldn't he with all the running he's been doing lately. He hadn't eaten anything in days; he didn't even know how the project was going. The teachers had pushed out the date of the bake sale since two of its members were missing. They had pushed out the date of the entire project since everyone needed extra time anyway.  
  
He had pushed away all the comfort his friends had tried to give him saying he was fine. He had run away from all the posters with Kari's face. He had run from everything. But now, he wanted comfort from his friends. He wanted comfort from one friend. Kari. He wanted her back safe and sound. He wanted to see her image on something other than pink, blue, and green, flyers.  
  
He sank to his knees in defeat. This is what his life was now. Dark, empty, and miserable. Hot salty tears flew down his cheeks. "Kari!" he cried, "KARI!"  
  
***********************  
  
Kari sat miserably handcuffed to her bed. The image of T.K. kept playing over and over in her head. Him fighting that man for her. To get her. It had been 24 hours since that incident. She didn't know what was happening with the bake sale. She knew none of which happened at school or in the digital world. No, instead she was stuck with people who grabbed her off the street because they wanted a child and were unable to have one.  
  
Kari had suggested many times that they let her go and go adopt a child instead. They had dismissed her ideas with such things as, "We've grown so attached to you," and "Don't you like us as well?" She wanted to get away. Back to her rightful family and friends. Not passed off as the child of people she didn't even know.  
  
She wanted more than just her friends. She wanted T.K. She wanted to see his smiling face. Yesterday when she had seen him he looked so thin and tired. She wanted to see him as he used to be. Happy and hopeful. But all that had evaporated. Her life was slowly drowning itself and that made it even worst than just drowning immediately because you knew it was going to happen.  
  
Tears rolled down her face. She wanted Tai. She wanted T.K. She wanted to lie in their strong arms when she was weak and unable to continue. That's what she wanted. She wanted to be among familiar loving faces. "T.K.," she whimpered. "T.K. I want to see you again." Suddenly the room began to fill up with water.  
  
It filled the room quickly and she was submerged under water. She tried to swim up but being handcuffed to the bed prevented her from going anywhere. "T.K.," She gasped. It came out in bubbles. Her white nightdress floated around her. Then suddenly the room disappeared leaving her submerged underwater. She looked up and saw a dark sky she pulled at her hand it came.  
  
She was free. She surfaced taking in huge gulps of air. She was in a town square. Sounds of muffled crying met her ears as close by. She peek over the edge of what she assumed was a fountain. A boy was crying into his knees. He had riffled hair and looked a little thin. She reached down and put a wet hand on his bare back. He stopped and looked up.  
  
"T.K.," Kari said with much delight.  
  
"Kari!" He stood and pulled her out of the fountain in one motion. They hugged.  
  
"I'm so glad I found you," Kari gasped clutching his bare arms. "T.K., you're so thin. Have you eaten anything?" T.K. shook his head. "At all?"  
  
"Not since you disappeared," T.K. told her.  
  
"T.K.!" Kari scolded. For the first in days a smile came to his lips.  
  
"Sorry," he said, "But we need to figure out how to get out of here." Together the two walked out of the town. They climbed onto the cliff and searched the forests.  
  
"So, Kari, T.K. said as they walked through the steadily darkening forest. "Those people, why did they kidnap you?"  
  
Kari sighed as she nudged a rock with her bare feet. She sat on the ground. "They wanted children and were unable to have their own."  
  
"Why didn't they just adopt a child?" T.K. asked sitting beside her. Kari shrugged before responding, "I suggested that too. All they said through was, 'We like you,' or 'Why should we? We have you,' or 'Don't you like us too? I told them I had a family who loved me and friends who loved me also. They said, 'You have all those things here.' I said, 'No I don't. The people who you drag me to spend time with are people I don't even know. You're not my family because I don't know you either.'"  
  
"Then they asked me an interesting question," Kari said. "They said, 'what do you have there that you don't have here?' I said, 'A best friend who would do anything for me, a great brother who would risk his life for me, and a digimon who goes out of her way to help me.'"  
  
"Really," T.K. asked. "You said that?" Kari nodded.  
  
"Because it's true," she told him. "Every last part of it, is true." T.K. blushed as Kari continued, "But I didn't stop there. I continued by saying, 'With my family and friends, I have found my true love. I have found my calling and my happiness.' But then I told them, 'But when you took me off the street like that, you took all those things away from me and when I tried to get them back, you stopped me by holding me back.' They were shocked.  
  
"Then they said, 'But what if we can give you back what you lost. We'll help you find new friends and we'll be your family. You'll find your calling and happiness again with us around. You will find another true love.' I said, 'You can't give me back any of what you stole from me. Only to let me go and let me return to where I belong will you ever be able to return to me what I lost.'  
  
"The woman looked pretty pained as she cried out, 'But we can't do that! You have brought happiness into our lives.' I said, 'I may have brought happiness into your lives, but you have taken happiness out of mine."  
  
Kari stood up with T.K. and brushed off her backside. She and him walk quietly through the forest onto the cliff. On the cliff they stood. Kari bent down tired and exhausted. T.K. looked at her with content. Kari stood up and looked out over the ocean the wind blowing her hair. She squinted into the distance. Something was coming.  
  
"T.K., something's coming," Kari told him. They turned and were in turn greeted by an army of Scubamon. Kari bent down again as they advanced towards the two.  
  
"Come on Kari, we have to go somewhere," T.K. urged. Kari didn't move. He urged her again and again. Suddenly Kari stood up. The crest of light was glowing on her chest. T.K. looked at his and could make out the crest of hope glowing. They stood close together. Out of the heavens came huge beams. One pink, the other green. The pink beam encircled Kari and T.K., the green beam rocketed around until it was like a ribbon.  
  
It encircled the pink beam. The Scubamon retreated in fear. Kari crouched down as if in pain. T.K. felt pain in his back. Suddenly, out of their backs came a pair of.  
  
***********************  
  
Tai woke with a start. His room was bathed in a pink light. He ran to his window. A pink beam with green raveling itself around it was right at the beach. Tai ran from the house without bothering to put his shoes or jacket on. He ran for the beach, vaulting over fences, dodging trees, and everything else.  
  
It was early early Saturday morning. Like 3 am. As he approached the beach he could see other figures approaching and some were already standing there. As he got closer, he could make out the digidestined all standing about ten feet from the light. All of them in PJs, staring in awe at the light. They could make out two figures struggling against something. And then, as if they had broken free, they floated up and out of the beam.  
  
On their backs were wings that were shining so brightly they couldn't make out the faces. One was a girl and the other was a boy. The girl was wearing what looked like a white flowing gown that billowed softly in the wind about her bare pointed feet. Was it a.angel? The green beam shot around its owner completely obscuring him from sight.  
  
The pink beam turned itself into a ribbon and did the same to its owner. The beams slowly coiled off into the cloudy sky. The people now were floating just above the digidestined's heads, their wings still shining so brightly they could power a city during a power outage.  
  
The people landed on the ground softly. The wind blew the wings slowly away like pink and green feathers showering the digidestined with light and hope. The gown was blowing softly in the wind. When the feathers blew away, they could see T.K. and Kari standing together gasping for breath.  
  
"Kari!" Tai cried as he ran to his sister enveloping her in a huge hug.  
  
"T.K.!" Matt said. The digidestined crowded around the two.  
  
"We were so worried about you two," Sora said in her long purple nightshirt. Gatomon leaped into Kari's arms happily. Kari and her snuggled. Patamon flew to T.K. happy to see him again.  
  
"Kari," Tai said, "where have you been? We've been looking for you."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Hi guys! Sorry for the short chapter. I'm going to be really busy this weekend, and my account has been locked until the 12th (Friday). I wanted to update before I got to involved in my weekend. Sorry, gotta go. Please review! Sorry about any missing words, misspellings, etc., etc. 


	5. More Problems? Oh my God!

  
Ebacusta: Hi... gu... sor... help...to...much...home...work... ahh... tk...kar... sor *gulb, glub, glub*   
  
Kari: Ebacusta's drowning in homework and can't finish her sentence. Here's what she's trying to say: Hi guys, sorry it's taken me so long to update, the teachers have been giving out too much homework.   
  
Davis: Serves her right. Takari fan.   
  
Ebacusta: Shut... up...   
  
Kari: Right so anyway, she hopes you enjoyed Kari's Talkshow.   
  
T.K.: Please ask some questions, do you think Kari's Talkshow was good or lame?   
  
Ebacusta: Right, I also have a question. Does anyone know how Ken's brother, Sam, died?   
  
Kari: Ebacusta, you survived?   
  
Ebacusta: *glares at Kari* No thanks to you, or *glares at T.K.* you. In episode 26 you see Sam getting blasted or something. I was wondering if any of you guys knew how Sam died.   
  
Ken: *still feels guilty about the death of Sam* Uh, right, someone do this disclaimer, we don't want to bore the readers to death. Heh heh heh.   
  
Yolei: No one blames you Ken. I mean it's not like you wished for your brother to disappear.   
  
Ken: *freezes* Yeah, heh heh. Wishing for my brother to disappear. *Thinking* Does she know?   
  
T.K.: Uh, Izzy, why don't you do the disclaimer?   
  
Izzy: Why certainly. Ebacusta owns nothing about Digimon except for the first 13 episodes of the first series on DVD. So don't sue.   
  
Ebacusta: *drowning again* Help! Please! If I'm drowning I should at least get to own part of Digimon!   
  
Kari: Dream on, oh demented one.   
  
All digidestined: *laugh*   
  
Ebacusta: Stop! I can have you all killed.   
  
All digidestined: You wouldn't dare. Because then you'd have no storyline or characters to work off of.   
  
Ebacusta: It's all too true. *finally manages to swim to side of homework sea and climb out* Finally.   
  
Ebacusta's Social Studies Teacher: You, do an essay about Japan's economical situation!   
  
Ebacusta's English Teacher: I want you to read half of "The Giver" and write me a 10-page summary of what happened!   
  
Ebacusta's Science Teacher: Read Chapters one and two in your sexual reproduction textbook and answer the questions at the end of each chapter!   
  
Ebacusta's Math Teacher: Do all of Chapter 3 by tomorrow!   
  
Ebacusta's French Teacher: I want a French skit about shopping with a friend! 2 pages at the minimum.   
  
Ebacusta: Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! *Starts running around the digidestined screaming with her teachers running after her*   
  
English Teacher: Stop writing useless fanfictions and do your English assignment!   
  
Ebacusta: *running* Shouldn't writing a public story that is on the worldwide Internet give me a passing grade?   
  
English Teacher: No!   
  
Math Teacher: Start on your Math! Get off-line now!   
  
Ebacusta: Can't I do a forth of Chapter 3 instead?   
  
Math Teacher: No!   
  
Social Studies Teacher: Where's your textbook?   
  
Ebacusta: That textbook weighs 10 pounds! (A/N. Seriously it does. I weighed it.) Can't we do this over the course of a week?   
  
Social Studies Teacher: No! Start writing!   
  
French Teacher: Why aren't you working on your skit?   
  
Ebacusta: Because you people are chasing me!   
  
French Teacher: So?   
  
Ebacusta: Could you please stop chasing me?   
  
All Teachers: NOOOOOOOO!!! *Blows ebacusta off her feet. When she recovers and sees them coming for her, she scrambles back to her feet and proceeds to run everywhere in and around the digidestined*   
  
All Digidestined: *sweatdrops*   
  
All Teachers: STUDY!   
  
Ebacusta: What for?   
  
All Teachers: For your test.   
  
Ebacusta: You didn't tell us about a test last Monday.   
  
All Teachers: Ooops. Butterfingers.   
  
Ebacusta: So, since it slipped your mind, shouldn't you technically give us more time?   
  
All Teachers: Of course not. Then we'd lose our chance to FAIL YOU!! *scary faces*   
  
Ebacusta: Aaahhh! *runs faster*   
  
Davis: I know what she feels like. Teachers can be so unreasonable at times.   
  
Tai: Yeah.   
  
Kari: This will be going on for a while.   
  
All Digidestined: Uh-huh? *heads and eyes all follow ebacusta as she runs around the digidestined*   
  
T.K.: *sighs* Fic Time.   
  
Kari: *nodding* This could take a while.   
  
Ebacusta: Ow! Ouch! Ou! Eee! Oof! Bak! Ow! Owie! That hurts! Ouch that cut me! Stop! Ouch! Ou! Eee! Ugh! *The teachers are ruthlessly bombarding Ebacusta with textbooks and homework assignments while she runs away*   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again

  


By ebacusta

  


Chapter 5

  
  


**More Problems? Oh my God!**

  
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
It was early early Saturday morning. Like 3 am. As he approached the beach he could see other figures approaching and some were already standing there. As he got closer, he could make out the digidestined all standing about ten feet from the light. All of them in PJs, staring in awe at the light. They could make out two figures struggling against something. And then, as if they had broken free, they floated up and out of the beam.   
  
On their backs were wings that were shining so brightly they couldn't make out the faces. One was a girl and the other was a boy. The girl was wearing what looked like a white flowing gown that billowed softly in the wind about her bare pointed feet. Was it a...angel? The green beam shot around its owner completely obscuring him from sight.   
  
The pink beam turned itself into a ribbon and did the same to its owner. The beams slowly coiled off into the cloudy sky. The people now were floating just above the digidestined's heads, their wings still shining so brightly they could power a city during a power outage.   
  
The people landed on the ground softly. The wind blew the wings slowly away like pink and green feathers showering the digidestined with light and hope. The gown was blowing softly in the wind. When the feathers blew away, they could see T.K. and Kari standing together gasping for breath.   
  
"Kari!" Tai cried as he ran to his sister enveloping her in a huge hug.   
  
"T.K.!" Matt said. The digidestined crowded around the two.   
  
"We were so worried about you two," Sora said in her long purple nightshirt. Gatomon leaped into Kari's arms happily. Kari and her snuggled. Patamon flew to T.K. happy to see him again.   
  
"Kari," Tai said, "where have you been? We've been looking for you."   
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
"I was...I was. I happened to be..."Kari stuttered.   
  
"You happened to be what?" Tai urged lovingly. Kari couldn't bring herself to tell that those two poor lonely lost souls had kidnapped her.   
  
"I ran away," Kari said looking down.   
  
"What? Why?" Tai asked as all the other digidestined gaped.   
  
"I...I just wanted to be alone," Kari said, as hot, salty tears began to pour down her face. T.K. wanted to say something. He couldn't stand having to watch as Kari's reputation and the trust of her family went down the toilet.   
  
Tai wouldn't believe it. "Kari, please just tell me the truth. Gatomon said you were kidnapped. We're your friends and won't judge you for what ever happened. We were worried and wanted to know what happened. Please tell us."   
  
"I told you!" Kari said as she pulled out of Tai's grasp. "I ran away. I asked Gatomon to lie for me! What more do you want? You want me to be shameful? Well, look at my shame. You want me to feel guilty? I'm ridden with guilt! You want me to feel like a bad girl? Look at me! You want me to feel alone? I am alone. I can't reveal myself to anyone! You don't know why either! I can't even tell the one I love that I love him! And you want to know why? Because of consequences!"   
  
"If you want me to feel ashamed, disappointed, guilty, bad, unhappy, alone, look at my soul. My judgment is clouded with these things and I can't admit to you anything because...because...because you just don't understand!" Kari pushed through them and ran off into the darkness. T.K. wanted to run after her with all his might and soul. He wanted to find out why she hadn't told them the truth. But Matt still held him tightly.   
  
The digidestined stared after Kari wide-mouthed. Why would she say such awful things? The silence was broken by a cough. They looked at Tai, bent over in the sand shaking and trembling. Tears wetting the ground and his bare legs. "Why? Why couldn't I see it before? She's been growing apart from me for months, and I never noticed. I thought it was some stage. Some phase she would grow out of. But now..."   
  
Sora bent over to comfort her boyfriend, "Tai, that's not true. She loves you. But she's obviously troubled by something. What she said, it isn't true. I know it isn't. Don't feel bad, please it's not your fault."   
  
Matt looked at T.K. intensely. He was looking for a fault. A crack, that would tell him and everyone else Kari was lying. T.K. wouldn't show it too him. He didn't try to look away; he stared Matt straight in the face. It was not his secret to tell. Matt didn't find what he was looking for, but he was sure that Kari was lying. She just didn't want anyone to know the truth.   
  
"Tai, Sora is right," Matt said. "What Kari said wasn't true. Don't feel bad. We have to get home now anyway. We'll worry about it in the morning."   
  
"But," Tai protested, "Kari is out there all alone. No telling what could happen."   
  
"Kari's a strong girl, Tai, she can take care of herself. You just have to believe that she can. Besides, she probably will return when she's ready," Yolei said. The other digidestined nodded in agreement.   
  
********************   
  
Kari sat knelt over in the park. The grass wet beneath her feet. The tears wetting her night dress. Why had she said those awful things? They weren't true. She was upset. She had too much inside of her. Those feelings that she kept bottled up inside of her since she was a little; they were making a huge comeback and she didn't want them too. She didn't need them now. What she needed now her best friend and her brother. She needed her friends.   
  
Why couldn't she have just told them she was kidnapped and asked them not to press charges? It would have been better than shattering Tai's trust.   
  
"He was hurt by me," Kari thought. "The little sister he cared so much about, and why? Because I can't bring myself to bother other people with what I'm feeling. I can't tell T.K. I love him. If he rejects me then... then where would our friendship be? Gone." She looked at herself. She was thin.   
  
Kari thought, "Why did I hurt him? Sure he's made mistakes, but so have I. And he stood by me when I did. He protected me when I was sick or hurt, he's showered me with unconditional love and I crushed him. Him and his heart. T.K. did the same for me." She felt sick to her stomach. It was cold. Suddenly, a light blinded her.   
  
She squinted and saw someone coming towards her. A boy. He knelt in front of her.   
  
"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice sounded like T.K.'s.   
  
"T.K.?" Kari gasped.   
  
"No, I'm Kei."   
  
"Kei," Kari thought. "Oh yeah."   
  


***Flashback***

  
  
Kari sat across the table staring blankly at a boy. Her black dress seemed to be constricting her breath. He stared at her with amber eyes.   
  
"So, what do you like to do?" he asked watching her closely.   
  
"Hang out with my friends," Kari replied shortly stirring her drink around. "What fun this is, what fun, what fun," she thought. Out of sheer politeness she asked him, "And you?"   
  
"Pretty much the same. I like anime and mangas too," he said in a voice almost identical to T.K.'s. His brown hair kind of jutted out places, as if he had just woken up. "How old are you?"   
  
"Fifteen. You?" Kari asked.   
  
"Seventeen," he said. "I have a little brother. He's over there." The boy said pointing.   
  
"Oh, he's cute. How old is he?" Kari asked.   
  
"Six," the boy told her. They got up and he offered her his hand to dance. She accepted it knowing her kidnappers were watching, smiling. And they thought she had found 'true love.' Ha!   
  


***End Flashback***

  
  
"Kei?" Kari choked. He nodded. "Are you okay?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Where's your mom and dad?"   
  
"They're not here," Kari said.   
  
"Why are you by yourself this early in the morning? Your parents were really worried and called our house saying you had disappeared," he said.   
  
"They're not my parents! They kidnapped me!" Kari said. How come she could tell him but not Tai? "But please," she added quietly. "Don't tell anyone." Kei, seeing how much this meant to her, nodded.   
  
"Kari!" a voice sounded. It was Tai. She could recognize his voice anywhere.   
  
"No! No! Please I just want to be left alone!" Kari yelled as she got up and ran. She ran as fast as she could into the trees. Until she was lost in darkness. For a minute she thought she had run into the dark ocean or something. The tears fell faster and harder than ever.   
  
"Why? Why did I run away? Why didn't I want to be embraced with open arms?" Kari asked. Her stomach lurched and she bent over and threw up into a bush. Things were getting hazy and she was hot all over. She stumbled a few feet here and a few feet there. Finally, she collapsed, a cool liquid washing over her.   
  
"I know this place," she mumbled, "the pond." It began to rain as she blacked out.   
  
*************************   
  
T.K. quietly pulled on clothes so as not to wake up Matt or Patamon. Gatomon was sitting quietly on his desk waiting. He pulled on his hat and together they quietly sneaked past Matt, who lay asleep on the couch. He grabbed his shoes opened the door and closed it in one swift motion. He took a minute to put on his shoes and ran down the hall and stairs and onto the street. Gatomon following   
  
He ran into the park and felt the dew off the grass flew up and hit his legs. It was refreshing. It had also rained last night. He had heard it, as he lay awake on his bed.   
  
"This way!" Gatomon said as she took off through the trees. T.K. followed.   
  
Suddenly, as he passed the pond Gatomon stopped. "She's here. This way a little." They walked closer to the pond. They got closer and closer. Until finally he saw something lying on the ground, the water was washing over it. He stopped and walked closer. It was a person!   
  
"It's Kari," Gatomon said. "I know it is." He walked even closer. It was Kari! He ran over to her and knelt beside her. Her face was flushed. He felt her head. She was burning up! Her nightgown was wet and clung to her body as her hair washed up and down with the water.   
  
He shook her. "Kari, Kari wake up." Her eyes opened a little. She smiled, "T.K. Gatomon." Her eyes closed again. He lifted her in his arms and walked back towards his apartment. Gatomon followed. When he opened the door and took off his shoes, he walked as quietly as he could past the still sleeping Matt. Into his room, where he closed the door.   
  
"I'm glad you helped me, Gatomon," T.K. said.   
  
"I'm glad Kari's safe," Gatomon replied.   
  
"Me too," T.K. said.   
  
"She has a fever though," T.K. said.   
  
"I know," Gatomon replied sadly.   
  
"Why do you think she was by the pond all by herself. She gets sick really easily," T.K. said.   
  
"I think her fever got to high and she just collapsed there," Gatomon replied. "With the right care, she could be better in no time."   
  
T.K. shifted uneasily. "What?" Gatomon asked.   
  
"Her clothes are soaking wet. I was trying to decide if we should change her or not," T.K. replied. "But, now that I think about it, don't you think if we wrap her tightly in covers she would warm up and her amazingly high body heat should do the rest?" Gatomon nodded. "For now anyway."   
  
T.K. walked quietly out of his room and made for the linen closet. He got as many comforters as he could carry and went back inside his room. He wrapped Kari up and put a cool cloth on her head. Slowly, as he sat beside her, his restlessness gone since she was safe and sound beside him, he drifted into a fitful sleep.   
  
***********************   
  
When Matt woke up the next morning, he sat up, stretched and walked quietly over to T.K.'s room. He opened the door a little. T.K. was lying on the floor asleep, someone or something was asleep in his bed. Matt entered quietly and walked over to the bed, stepping over T.K. He pulled the covers back a little. Kari!   
  
It was then that T.K. woke up. "Matt!   
  
"T.K., where did you find her?" Matt asked.   
  
"In the park by the pond, " T.K.said.   
  
"When did you go?" Matt asked.   
  
"This morning," T.K. replied.   
  
"I see," Matt said.   
  
Around two, Tai called and told T.K. to come to his house in hour. Matt had to go off to band practice and told Tai he'd be an hour late. Then, he made T.K. promise he wouldn't leave the house until it was time to go to Tai's.   
  
Kari was still soaking wet. It began to rain. T.K. left the room and went into his mom's study and when he came back Kari was gone. The window was open. He quickly looked out and saw Kari falling fast. She was still unconscious. The rain almost was pushing her down. He ran out of the house and down the stairs as fast as he could. Daring his body to go faster than it ever had before. He slid under Kari and caught her in the nick of time.   
  
"Kari, are you okay?" T.K. asked. Kari didn't say anything. She didn't move either. T.K. carried her upstairs, put on his shoes and began to walk back down the stairs. He looked at his watch. 3:30! He was suppose to be at Tai's house and he couldn't leave Kari by herself. So, he went inside his house and grabbed his jacket. He draped it over her.   
  
He began to walk through the streets without any protection carrying his best friend in his arms. The rain was falling harder than ever and it was so cold that it stung like needles piercing his skin. But he didn't stop. He continued with each struggling step he walked ever closer to her house.   
  
***********************   
  
"Where is T.K.?" Sora wandered.   
  
"He said he would be here," Tai said.   
  
"Do you think he got lost? I mean, it is raining pretty hard," Davis suggested.   
  
"Or maybe he's at that bake sale place that he, Kari and those other two are working on," Yolei suggested.   
  
"Maybe," Tai said. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Well it sounded more like someone was trying to kick open the door.   
  
"I'll get it," Sora said standing up. She walked into the front hall and opened the door. "T.K.! What happened?" The door closed and the digidestined wait a minute. Sora ran out of the front hall and into the bathroom. She returned with a stack of towels. T.K. walked into the front hall, dripping wet carrying something in his arms.   
  
"What's that?" Cody asked staring at the bulk. T.K. tipped it and the jacket fell off. In his arms he held, Tai's dear little sister, Kari.   
  
"Kari!" Tai said. He was on his feet in a minute. "T.K., where did you find her?"   
  
"In the park, unconscious by the pond. She had a fever earlier this morning. It's gone down quite a bit though," T.K. replied. Kari groaned and slowly, her eyes opened.   
  
"T.K.! Tai!" Kari said. She spoke to T.K., "I had a dream that you found me by a pond and carried me home." T.K. smiled at her.   
  
Sora spoke, "Kari, you had better take a nice hot bath."   
  
"Yeah," the other digidestined agreed. T.K. carried her to the bathroom where Sora had a hot steamy bath already set up. He let her down on the ground and let her be. She removed her soaking nightgown and slipped into the water. She sat up in it and washed herself.   
  
She submerged herself just to her ears underwater lying upright on her back. She could hear her breathing clearly. She drew in a long breath and held it. After a few seconds, she could hear her heart beating steadily. She thought about T.K. It sped up. So it was true. She let out her breath. She lay like that for a while, but slowly, she fell asleep, soothed by the warmth of the water.   
  
************************   
  
"What's that sound?" Davis asked.   
  
"It sounds like someone who's drowning," Yolei remarked.   
  
"But who would be drowning?" Matt asked.   
  
"Kari!" T.K. said jumping to his feet.   
  
"Why would Kari be drowning in a bathtub?" Joe asked. A scream came out of the bathroom. Gatomon was on her feet in a minute. She and T.K. made a mad dash for the bathroom. Sora tripped T.K.   
  
"T.K., not you, Kari is naked," Sora replied. "Yolei, go!" Yolei ran into the bathroom and recoiled in horror. Kari was thrown violently out of the bathroom, she was wrapped tightly in a towel, and her hair was wrapped in a towel to. She seemed to be in pain. Something was wrapped around her foot.   
  
"Kari!" T.K. and Tai cried. They ran for her and were knocked back. What was coming out of the bathroom?   
  
"What's that?" Izzy asked. Something was wrapping around Kari's body.   
  
"Whatever it is, it seems pretty interested in T.K. too," Ken replied. It began to coil up T.K.'s leg. Kari screamed as she struggled but her hands were strapped tightly to her sides.   
  
"Lightning's Paw!" Gatomon said.   
  
"Boom Bubble!" Patamon yelled.   
  
"Wait a minute," Yolei said. "They're tentacles!" Tai started pulling at them like his life depended on it. Matt was working on T.K.'s. The tentacles wrapped around Kari just seemed intent on taking her somewhere. The ones around T.K. were causing him pain. Like they were trying to crush him.   
  
Gatomon bit the big tentacles that lead into the ones wrapped tightly around T.K. and Kari. It recoiled in pain unwrapping itself and returning to the bathroom. T.K. was clutching his sides. Kari gasped for air.   
  
"Are you okay?" Tai asked Kari as he hugged her tight. Kari looked at T.K.   
  
"T.K.? Are you all right? Did you feel it? It's calling us," Kari said. At this remark everyone stared puzzled, but apparently, T.K. knew what she was talking about and nodded. Kari, a bit traumatized, withdrew from Tai's grasp and went into her room. She closed the door behind her. After 30 minutes and she still hadn't come out, Tai knocked on the door.   
  
"Kari? Can T.K. come in and get some dry clothes?" Tai asked through the door.   
  
"Yes," came his reply. T.K. opened the door and closed it behind him. The other digidestined who had been brainstorming about what the tentacles were watching closely.   
  
*************************   
  
"Kari?" T.K. asked. "Are you okay?" Kari was facing the wall, hunched over looking at something. "Kari?" He approached her slowly. She was looking at... his scrapbook.   
  
"Did you feel it?" Kari asked. "It was the same energy..."   
  
"It was the same energy that we felt in the dark ocean," T.K. finished. "What do you think it was?"   
  
Kari shrugged. "I don't know, but while it was wrapped around me, it felt like my soul was being ripped in half. I don't know, like..."   
  
"Like your lighted and hopeful side was separating from your dark and desperate side?" T.K. suggested.   
  
"Yes! Just like that!" Kari said. "The reason, I kept screaming. It gave me visions. Visions of horrible things like Gatomon leaving forever or Tai getting killed or you..."   
  
"Or me what?" T.K. asked taking a step towards her.   
  
"Or you leaving me for someone else," Kari said. A tear slid down her check. "That's why. That's why I had to look at this scrapbook. To remind myself that you still cared for me as your friend. As your best friend."   
  
"I would never leave you for someone else! After all we've been through since that one faithful day when we saw our first digimon. You know me better than anyone," T.K. said. "But I know what you mean."   
  
"It was trying to fill my heart with darkness. Those visions I saw were horrible. Things that I hope never happen," Kari said. She was trembling.   
  
"Of course not," T.K. said. He went over into Tai and Kari's closet. He pulled out some of Tai's old clothes and put them on. Kari kept her back turned.   
  
"You know what T.K.?" Kari asked. "You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for." T.K. blushed, "Thank you." There was some silence.   
  
"Kari," T.K. began. He knew he shouldn't say anything, but it was tormenting him. "Why didn't you tell the truth to Tai and the other last night?" He turned around. Kari was sitting on her bed.   
  
"I don't know. I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. You don't they think any lesser of me now do you?" she asked.   
  
"I don't think lesser of you. I think they're more just surprised. I think you really hurt Tai's feelings. He thought it was something he did," T.K. said. Kari buried her head in her knees.   
  
"I knew it," Kari cried. I knew this would happen, T.K. thought. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?   
  
"But he still loves you Kari. He's just glad that you're safe. And besides, you can clean the record with him when your ready," T.K. offered quickly. Kari looked up. "I want to clear the record when I go out there."   
  
*************************   
  
"Kari and T.K. sure have been in there a long time," Sora said.   
  
"Three hours," Izzy said.   
  
"What do you think they're doing?" Yolei asked.   
  
"Who knows," Matt shrugged. "I'm still at a lost for what those tentacles things wanted with T.K. and Kari."   
  
"I think they know though," Ken said.   
  
"I think so too," Joe agreed.   
  
"What do you mean?" Davis asked.   
  
"Well, think about it," Cody answered. "Didn't you here what Kari asked T.K.?"   
  
"No, what did she say? Did she ask him out?" The digidestined feel over their legs in the air (A/N. i.e. Anime Style).   
  
"You are totally hopeless Davis!" Yolei yelled once she was sitting upright.   
  
"She said, 'Did you feel it? It's calling us,'" Izzy replied patiently.   
  
"What do you think she meant?" Sora asked.   
  
"Well, that's what I'm thinking," Cody said. "If we could figure out what angle she's coming from I bet we could figure out what she meant."   
  
"Well, first we'll have to figure out what those tentacles wanted with them," Ken said logically.   
  
"How do you propose we do that?" Joe asked.   
  
"By finding everything we know about the subject," Ken said.   
  
"Which means," Izzy said, "we'll go by order of operations. Starting with whom was closest other than the two targets. Tai and Matt go."   
  
Tai said, "What can I say? I tried to pull them off."   
  
Matt agreed, "Ditto."   
  
"Then Yolei," Izzy replied.   
  
"I don't know. Standing close to them seemed to bring out some things I'd like to forget. It seemed to bring out the worst things I've ever done. It kind of filled my heart with negative things," Yolei said.   
  
"Like the dementors in Harry Potter," Davis asked. The digidestined fell over (Anime Style).   
  
"Yes, like the dementors from Harry Potter. Now, Yolei, like a dark aura of sorts?' Izzy asked. Yolei nodded.   
  
"Now that you mention it, I felt it too," Tai said.   
  
"Yeah, me too," Matt said. "Like the it was trying to swallow all the light and hope out of this world."   
  
"Wait a minute!" Davis exclaimed.   
  
"Not another random joke, Davis," Yolei groaned.   
  
"No, I've figured something out! Matt, you said it was like the tentacles were trying to swallow all the light and hope in the world. Aren't Kari and T.K.'s crests the crests of light and hope? Maybe, it was going to start filling up this world with darkness by taking the two who lightened it up first and then move on to people's hearts." The room was silent.   
  
Slowly almost painfully Izzy said, "Davis, I think you're onto something."   
  
"Yes!" Davis cheered.   
  
"Score one for the bad guys!" Yolei joked. The digidestined burst out laughing.   
  
"Yeah, score on for the- hey!" Davis said. His face turned bright red. Suddenly the Kari and Tai's room door opened. Kari and T.K. emerged. The room went dead silent.   
  
"Tai, you guys... I want to apologize for lying to you the other day. I was kidnapped," Kari said but quickly added, "Please don't press charges!"   
  
Tai stood up and embraced her. "We knew your had been kidnapped by why didn't you tell us? We were worried about you," Tai asked.   
  
"I don't know. I tried to tell you, I really did, but for some reason I just couldn't," Kari confessed. Her sentence came out long and choppy.   
  
"It's okay," Tai said. "I'm just glad you're safe." All the other digidestined stood up and got involved in a huge big hug. Amidst all the emotion, T.K. slipped quietly out of the apartment. He ran down the stairs of the apartment, down the street and around the corner as fast he could. He slowed to a walk.   
  
He walked continuously until he reached the building him and Kari had sat on top of a few days before (A/N. Remember chap.3). He peered in the window and seeing the receptionist not at her desk he slipped inside and climbed the stairs. Once on top of the building, he sat down and watched the sun set. The wind caressing his face.   
  
***********************   
  
"Hey, where's T.K.?" Ken asked as the group untangled themselves.   
  
"I'm sure he'll be back in a second," Davis said.   
  
Cody slowly began, "Kari. About those tentacles that were wrapping around you four hours ago. What did you feel like?" Kari searched her brain wildly for an excuse to not answer the question. Quite frankly she didn't want to remember. Her eyes landed on a clock.   
  
"Cody, I'd really love to answer question, but I should have been working eleven hours ago. Sorry." Kari ran into the front hall threw on her shoes and fled the house as fast as she could.   
  
"T.K., please be where I think you are," Kari thought as she ran. It was dark and the street lamps lit her path.   
  
***********************   
  
T.K. watched the sidewalk below him carefully. Suddenly, he saw a girl run down the path. This sparked his interest. He watched her as she stopped turned around and looked up. She then ran back and into the building.   
  
"Mom must work here," T.K. thought as he returned to staring at the sunset. A few moments later the door behind him flew open.   
  
"T.K., there you are!" Kari exclaimed her voice coated with worry. "I was worried about you."   
  
"Why?" T.K. asked. "What would have happened to me?"   
  
"I was scared you'd been kidnapped like me," Kari said gasping for air. T.K. turned around.   
  
"You really are a great friend," T.K. said. "And a huge worrier." Kari smiled apologetically, "Sorry. But come on, let's go to the restaurant and see how work is down there." T.K. nodded and stood up. Together the two walked down the stairs and passed the empty receptionist chair.   
  
"Where is she?" Kari asked. "She's never there."   
  
"Who knows, but she should really be fired if she's not doing her job," T.K. shrugged. The two walked to the building and tried the door. It opened. Kari stepped into the entry hall. The walls were completely finished.   
  
"Wow!" Kari exclaimed. "This is awesome!" The golden paint glinted in the light.   
  
"Is someone there?" Rei's voice asked. "Can I help you?" Rei appeared on the right side of the room. Her eyes widen in shock.   
  
"Kari!" Rei ran to her and hugged her. "I was so worried." Yamazaki ran around the corner and almost collided.   
  
"Kari! Are you okay? I'm glad you're back. You too T.K.," Yamazaki said. Rei was now hugging T.K. too.   
  
"These walls are awesome, Rei" Kari commented.   
  
"Thank you. Yamazaki has already finished his first piece of artwork," Rei informed the pair.   
  
"Really?" Kari asked, "Let me see it." She followed him back around the corner into on of the side rooms where a container of gold paint lay open a paintbrush over it. In the middle of the floor there was a stack of papers. Colored pencils lay scattered across the floor and watercolors were open beside them. Crayons, charcoal, and oil pastels lay on the floor beside the paper.   
  
Yamazaki walked over to a solitary piece of paper and showed them. "Wow," T.K. said "What an awesome drawing." The picture was of their school with students entering and leaving the building. Kari could see herself and T.K. near the front walking away from the building and Rei was walking towards the building her body halfway turn around.   
  
Yamazaki had drawn himself smaller on the side of the building. His head was turned. Other students separated the foursome drawn in the painting. There were even some students sitting under the shade of a tree. It had been carefully colored with colored pencils. Dark, vibrate, light, and shining.   
  
"I love it," Kari said.   
  
"The contrast is very good," T.K. said.   
  
"Yamazaki?" he looked up. "How come you didn't make yourself bigger?" Kari asked.   
  
"I wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible," Yamazaki replied simply.   
  
"Why?" Kari asked.   
  
"I don't need to be noticed," Yamazaki said.   
  
"Yes you do. You're the artist," Kari said.   
  
"For me, art is not about letting everyone know who drew it. It's about letting yourself free and having fun in the process," Yamazaki admitted.   
  
"Hey," Rei interrupted. "Kari, T.K., we were going to have that sleepover at my house tonight. Why don't you guys call your parents and ask if you can sleep over. Don't worry. The guys can sleep in my brother's room. He's away for a little while. Kari, you can sleep in my room," Rei said.   
  
"Oh right, I forgot about that," Kari replied. She felt in her pockets. "Oh no," she gasped. "My cell phone and key are gone!"   
  
"Oh right," your stuff is under the counter. T.K. found that bag of stuff on the ground with your wallet. And if you recall, you left your cell phone and key in here when you went to get that paint."   
  
"Oh that's right!" Kari sighed. "I totally forgot." She ran out of the sectioned room and retrieved her cell and key from under the counter. She dialed her house. Tai answered.   
  
"Hello?" Tai asked.   
  
"Tai? It's Kari. Is mom home?" she asked.   
  
"Mom and Dad went out with some friends tonight remember?" Tai said.   
  
"Oh that's right," Kari said. "Thanks Tai, bye." They hung up and she dialed her mom's cell.   
  
"Hello?" her mom asked.   
  
"Mom? It's Kari. Can I spend the night at Rei's house. Trust me, I'm only asking you because we were going to work really late and we have some paperwork we have to fill out together and stuff," Kari said quickly.   
  
"Well I guess if you really want too," her mother caved in.   
  
"Thanks mom. I'll see you tomorrow night," Kari said.   
  
"Good bye honey," her mom said. Kari hung up and handed the phone to T.K. who called his mom. When he hung a few minutes later he said, "She said yes. She's working late tonight anyway."   
  
"Great," Rei said. "Let the games begin!"   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Hey. I hope you liked this chapter. Please check out those quizzes. Thank you. By the way, updates might be a bit random since school has started. Look for future updates! Have any of you seen the anime Super GALS!? It came out back in September. It's really good anime. Check it out. Rating = 15+. Anyway, please review! And check out the stuff at the after this. I think you guys will like it.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Guys, do me a favor and check out these websites:   
  
- here, I was Mimi, Matt, Joe, TK, Sora, Kari, Tai, Izzy, Yolei, Cody, Davis, Ken.   
  
Seriously, looking at the descriptions they gave me, I'm most like Kari. I do keep things bottled up inside and I'm nice and clever but I can and do hurt other people's feelings.   
  
The problem with Mimi is that I'm not spoiled. Matt, Joe, TK, Tai, Izzy, Cody, Davis, and Ken is that I'm not a boy.   
  
But I'm also like Sora. I can be depressed and negative, but I'm a caring person. I'm also kind of a tomboy, not necessarily sporty. Kinda.   
  
But then I'm like Yolei in the fact that I am blunt, hyper, and good with computers, and I like boys, but not like she does.   
  
- here, I was most like Kari. I didn't try to make it that way at all. This is in terms of personality.   
  
- Here I was Sora, Izzy, TK, Kari...   
  
- Matt, Kari, T.K., Sora, Tai...   
  
  
? /- Kari without a doubt.   
  
- I have Takato's personality.   
  
My favorite digimon characters are Kari, T.K., Sora...   
  
I took a "What type of anime character are you?" quiz or something like that, I'm a gay boy. I'm not gay, and I'm not a boy. Furthermore, when I took it again, I was intellectual. That is true.   
  
Then I took a "What kind of fanfiction pairing are you?" quiz.   
  
  
- I got Taiora and Takari! Suck on that Dakari fans! Sorry, sorry, that was mean.   
  
I took an Anime Matchmaker quiz. My match is Keiichi Morisato from Ah! My Goddess! It's at   
  
Please, please, please, check out these websites, and in a review, or email, tell me who your favorite digimon character is, who you got and how close it reflects your personality. Kari is the closet for me.   
  
By the way, I realized that my school system in Try, Try, Try, Again is flawed. The school year starts in April, and high schools start at the 10th grade year, which means that Kari and the others are technically 1st years. Furthermore, the fact that they clean the school after school and have shoes they wear in the school building that are different than the shoes they where outside was brought to my attention through research. Also, I now know that students don't drive to school like they do in America. They instead walk or use mass-transit. I would change it, but I really like my car scene so, I'm going to leave it and just change it from now on okay?   
  
I'd like to thank "Anime Explosion" by Patrick Drazen for helping me realize my mistake while I was reading the book. A footnote addressed how school was from like April to something or other. Then, the new anime "Super GALS!" also helped me learn a little bit more about school and Japanese culture. Please overlook all my flaws and all the flaws in this fanfiction. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check out the websites and tell me who you're like. *~.^* 1 20 


	6. Lost Again

  
Ebacusta: Hey guys. I'm writing this during class because we're correcting a test, which I aced! I got a 103% on the objective portion and a 95% on my essay. In any case, I'll probably finish this chapter at my house.   
  
Kari: That's lovely Ebacusta.   
  
Ebacusta: *bows head* First, I'd like to apologize to all the people who reviewed but I never thanked. I really do appreciate them. Sometimes I feel like you guys aren't reading. *tear* In any case, I'd like to thank:   
  
**silver starfall**: for your review   
  
**miaow227**: for your reviews   
  
**Crazypixie789**: for your review   
  
**PrinceTrunks2k2**: for your reviews,   
  
**PureWhiteLilly**: for your review. Thanks *^.~*   
  
T.K.: This chapter is going to be a bit short because Ebacusta is going to try and have this up for Thanksgiving.   
  
Ebacusta: That's right. Now, for the disclaimer.   
  
Davis: Pick me! Pick me!   
  
Ebacusta: All right, Davis. Nothing stupid.   
  
Davis: Ebacusta owns nothing in this fanfiction except, Kei, Rei, and some other made up characters. Furthermore she would like to apologize for making this a Takari instead of a Dakari.   
  
Ebacusta: No, actually I'd like to apologize to my readers for allowing such a baka to do the disclaimer. I'm a Takari fan and proud of it! So you can eat my dust, Davis!   
  
Kari: Right... Anyway, we've wasted enough of your time. By the way this chapter is rather serious.   
  
T.K.: That's right. Fic time!   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again

  


By ebacusta

  


Chapter 6

  
  


**Lost Again**

  
  
--------------------------------------------   
  
"Hello?" her mom asked.   
  
"Mom? It's Kari. Can I spend the night at Rei's house. Trust me, I'm only asking you because we were going to work really late and we have some paperwork we have to fill out together and stuff," Kari said quickly.   
  
"Well I guess if you really want too," her mother caved in.   
  
"Thanks mom. I'll see you tomorrow night," Kari said.   
  
"Good bye honey," her mom said. Kari hung up and handed the phone to T.K. who called his mom. When he hung a few minutes later he said, "She said yes. She's working late tonight anyway."   
  
"Great," Rei said. "Let the games begin!"   
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
T.K. and Kari quickly went behind the counter and pulled out their change of clothes and quickly changed. Kari then pulled out a plastic cup and T.K. carefully poured some gold paint in it. He borrowed Rei's laptop and began to design some sample advertisements for their bake sale.   
  
"I just thought about something," Kari said suddenly. "We never took down the sign."   
  
"You're right," Rei agreed. She put down her cup of gold. "Let's go do that quickly." The boys nodded and got up off the floor. They grabbed ladders and leaned them against the side of building. Glad there was plenty of lights around. The moon shined down brightly.   
  
"Right," Kari said as T.K. handed her and Rei two coils of rope. "Rei and I will lower down the sign and you two will catch it okay?" Yamazaki and T.K. nodded. Together Rei and Kari climbed up the ladders while the boys stabilized them. On the roof Kari and Rei carefully tied the rope around the sign.   
  
"Hold these and get back as far on the roof as possible. I'm going to unhook the sign and I'm going to need you to hold up for a second or two until I get my side okay?" Rei said. Kari nodded. "Are you sure you're up to the task?" Rei asked. Kari nodded again. This is when working out with T.K. after school would come in handy.   
  
"The sign is very heavy," Rei said, "So if you don't want to do it, I can."   
  
"I'm fine, Rei," Kari said as she wrapped the two coils of rope around one arm. She backed up as far as she could and then put her other hand on the rope to stop it from dislocating her arm.   
  
"Ready?" Rei called.   
  
"Yeah!" Kari yelled back. Rei bent down and unhooked the first hook. Kari felt a little strain on the rope. Rei slowly unhooked the second hook and Kari pulled as hard as she could. The sign was pulling her little by little closer to the other side of the roof but she pulled.   
  
Her hidden muscles as well as her veins were bulging. She was being pulled closer but that didn't stop her. This was simply tug-of-war she could win. She pulled and the sign inched up but then dropped.   
  
"For T.K. so he won't get hurt," Kari thought as she pulled harder. Rei ran back to where Kari was. She looked at Kari as she searched for her rope. Kari's leg muscles were well developed, as were her arm muscles. They weren't noticeable when Kari wasn't using them, but Kari was stronger then Rei thought.   
  
Finding her end of the rope Rei began to unwrap it off Kari's arm. Kari was sweating. Who wouldn't be? Taking her end of the rope Rei began to pull also. Suddenly though, Kari lost her foothold and flew towards the edge.   
  
Kari's half of the sign plummeted towards the boys. This added extra strain to Rei's half. Kari was half off the roof and Rei could hear the boys yelling at her to be careful. The sign was still falling at the boys and would have crushed T.K. had Kari not have gotten back to her feet and put on a burst of speed towards the back of roof. The sign stopped an inch from T.K.'s face.   
  
Kari pulled the sign slowly back into level with Rei and slowly, together the two lowered the sign. But suddenly, as if something possessed them, ropes shot out of the girls' hands and wrapped tightly around Kari. The boys who lowered the sign successfully to the ground noticed the ropes weren't falling.   
  
The ropes coiled around Kari's neck and limbs threatening to tighten. Kari struggled. Her hair was limp and she was hot and tired. The ropes pulled harder on her. She pulled back. They lifted her off the roof and suspended her above traffic. T.K. could feel an evil energy coming from the ropes. He gasped as Kari became visible wrapped with ropes and held tightly above traffic.   
  
"Kari!" Rei yelled running to the edge of the roof. The ropes were squeezing. The rope became black.   
  
"Kari!" T.K. yelled. "No!"   
  
"This can't be happening!" Yamazaki yelled. Kari was gasping for breath, as she couldn't breathe right. The ropes were restraining her air.   
  
"What do you want?" she cried out in vain. "Why do you keep calling to me like this? Leave me alone!"   
  
Rei and Yamazaki thought this meant she didn't want them to feel concerned for her but T.K. said, "That's not what she means." He understood perfectly what it meant.   
  
"Kari!" T.K. said as the rope uncoiled itself from around the sign and began to wrap around his leg. He tried to pull away but it wouldn't work and he was pulled into the air upside down. The other rope wrapped around Yamazaki and Rei so that they were helpless. The four high school students were all suspended helplessly above the traffic of Main Street.   
  
"Help!" Rei yelled. "HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLP!!!!"   
  
*************************   
  
Tai and the other digidestined sat around his living room watching TV.   
  
"We interrupt this message to bring you an important news update," a male newscaster informed.   
  
Tai groaned, "Not another police chase."   
  
"Four high school students have been suspended above Main Street traffic for about a half an hour now by black ropes. The students have not been identified yet. We now go live to the scene with our reporter Trisha Takanawa (TRISH-a- ta-ka-NA-wa)." The TV screen switched to the scene of four high school students being suspended in air. A close up of two the teenagers were shown.   
  
"Kari!"   
  
"T.K.!"   
  
Matt and Tai as well as the other digidestined were on there feet in a minute. Shoes went flying as they scrambled to put on their shoes and run out the door, their digimon not far behind.   
  
*************************   
  
Kari struggled against the ropes. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "Kari! T.K.!"   
  
"Tai!" the yell escaped her bloody lip.   
  
"Matt!" T.K. responded. His lip was also bloody. The ropes had been wavering and "accidentally" brushed the two against a building (A/N. Not their own.). The ropes holding Kari and T.K. wavered first, then Rei and Yamazaki's. Kari suddenly plummeted towards the ground the rope still wrapped tightly around her. She crashed through the street and was pulled into the sewer. T.K., Rei, and Yamazaki followed.   
  
"Kari!" Tai yelled.   
  
"T.K.!" Matt yelled.   
  
"Come on track skills!" Sora thought. She sprinted passed Tai and Matt who realizing what she was doing followed her lead all of them glad for track. Cars skidded to a stop at the hole causing many accidents and a huge traffic jam, but Sora, Tai, and Matt all sprinted passed this.   
  
"Wait up!" Yolei yelled. Joe also realized what they were doing and told the other and younger digidestined to let those three get T.K., Kari, and the other two.   
  
"Something's coming," Izzy said suddenly. He yelled after the other three. "A digimon is coming!" Apparently he was too late as out of the ground came Skullgreymon. The fleshless digimon came towards the three sprinting track students. The digimon that looked like that of a giant fossilized dinosaur swung at them. They skidded to a stop.   
  
"Agumon digivolved to...Greymon!" The orange and blue dinosaur stepped in the way.   
  
"Gabumon digivolved to...Garurumon!" The blue and white wolf kneeled for Matt, Tai, and Sora.   
  
"Biyomon digivolved to...Birdramon!" The huge orange bird flew high into the sky. The other digidestined were running towards them but a huge green, yellow, and red parrot rose out of the ground.   
  
"It's Parrotmon!" Izzy yelled as he and the others turned around. The bird landed behind them. The digidestined were surrounded.   
  
"Tentomon digivolved to... Kabuterimon!" The insect digimon joined the bird in the sky.   
  
"Gommamon digivolved to...Ikkakumon!" The shaggy haired digimon stared at Parrotmon ready to attack.   
  
"Veemon digivolved to..."   
  
"Wormmon digivolved to..."   
  
"Hawkmon digivolved to..."   
  
" Armadillomon digivolved to..."   
  
"ExVeemon!"   
  
"Stingmon!"   
  
"Aquilamon!"   
  
"Ankylomon!" The blue dragon and tall insect stood threateningly before the big bird. Aquilamon took to the sky while Ankylomon stood his ground beside the other two. (A/N. The beginning of "Here We Go" is now playing.)   
  
"Tai! Matt!" Izzy yelled as he ran towards the threesome. They turned their heads. "Catch!" Izzy drew back and threw T.K. and Kari's digivices as hard as he could. They spiraled into the sky over Skullgreymon's head and back down again. Tai and Matt ran and caught the digivices, scooped up Gatomon and Patamon and quickly climbed on Garurumon's back.   
  
"Here we go!" Matt said. Garurumon took off into the night.   
  
**(Hey what's up superstar, looks like you're goin' far! Hey look it's wonder guy, gonna make your brains go fly! Now what's up wonder girl, you're gonna change the world. So if everything's' not perfect. Don't matter cause you'll be working. No-things holding you, never stopping, never stopping, never stopping you.)**   
  
"Kari were coming!" Tai thought as Garurumon picked up speed.   
  
**(Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh. Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh Here we Go! Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh ohhh.)**   
  
"Hold on T.K.!" Matt thought.   
  
**(Hey what's up dynamite, takin' off on anew flight. Steppin' up to number one, and won't back off until its comin' through like great fire, you're gonna be the next flyer. So if everything is crazy don't matter cause nothings crazy. You get through it, never stopping, never stopping. _[The instrumental part starts playing]_)**   
  
Garurumon ran faster. Suddenly two kids burst out of the ground.   
  
"Garurumon jump as high as you can!" Sora said. "This is where my long and high jump skills should come in handy." Garurumon jumped and Sora crouched. At the highest point of the jump Sora jumped off the wolf her hands outstretched glad she had been wearing track shorts anyway.   
  
"Birdramon!" Sora yelled as she flew through the air. Sora caught the two kids, and begin to fall.   
  
**(Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh. Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh Here we Go! Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh ohhh.)**   
  
"Sora!" Tai yelled. Fortunately, it was then that Birdramon flew by catching Sora and the two kids before they could hit the ground. "Howling Blaster!" the great wolf said. He blasted a big hole in the ground and jumped down into the sewers. They could make out the ropes with Kari and T.K. just ahead of them.   
  
**(Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh. Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh Here we Go! Ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhh ohhh ohhh.)**   
  
"Howling Blaster!" Garurumon said again. The blue beam flew through the air and cut the rope. T.K. and Kari began to fall yelling.   
  
Tai dived catching Kari in his arms as he flew across the murky water. Tai landed and rolled across the cold stone sidewalk. Matt caught T.K. as well and Garurumon jumped across the water standing beside Tai.   
  
**(End of "Here We Go")**   
  
"Are you okay?" Tai asked Kari. Kari nodded as Tai helped her out of her bonds. He handed her, her digivice, and Gatomon jumped off Garurumon's back landing beside Kari.   
  
"Are you okay?" Sora asked as she dropped down through the hole. She ran down to where they were.   
  
"Yeah, thank you Tai," Kari said.   
  
"I was so worried," Matt said.   
  
"Sorry," T.K. responded.   
  
"Guys, let's go back and join the battle, the others need our help," Sora said. Tai, Matt, Kari, and T.K. all nodded and climbed on Garurumon. Tai helped Sora up once T.K. and Kari were seated in front of him.   
  
"Hang on tight!" Garurumon advised as he jumped back across the water and back on to the street. Garurumon ran back towards the others but once they were almost there the something shot out of the ground and pulled Kari off the wolf.   
  
"Kari!" Tai yelled. The other digidestined ran up to the wolf who let Matt, Sora, Tai, T.K., and the others off.   
  
"Kari!" Gatomon yelled. "Gatomon digivolved to...Angewomon!" The Angel flew up. "Celestial Arro-!"   
  
"Don't move," said a voice. It was scratchy sounding. T.K., Tai, and Matt froze. Out of the ground came a stake. Attached to it was Kari, her hands tied above her head and her legs tied to the stake as well. Mega Seadramon was wrapped around the stake, his horn was pressed softly to Kari's throat.   
  
"If you'll cooperate, she won't get hurt," said the voice.   
  
"What do you want?" Tai asked.   
  
"The boy with the crest of hope glowing on his chest." The digidestined looked down and saw that their crests were glowing brightly on their chests. T.K. looked down.   
  
"No T.K.," Matt said. "We can find another way." Birdramon and Garurumon who were getting ready to attack from behind stopped dead in their tracks when the voice said, "Attacking from behind won't help her situation." The horn pressed closer drawing a little blood.   
  
Tai breathed in sharply as tears streamed down his little sisters face. "Anything else that we can give you? Take me instead," he begged.   
  
"I didn't ask for the one with the crest of courage, I asked for the boy with the crest of hope glowing on his chest," the voice repeated. "Give him to me or this," Mega Seadramon drew back and stabbed through Kari's stomach. Kari screamed in pain.   
  
"No!" Tai and T.K. yelled.   
  
"Ah. Ugh. Uhh. Ahhh, Uh. Uhh. Ughhhh," Kari gasped. Blood stained Kari's clothes as Mega Seadramon pulled back. The image shattered and the real Kari, who thankfully was still alive and well, gasped at the own image of her death.   
  
"...will happen," the voice finished.   
  
"There has to be another way!" Tai yelled.   
  
"So, you won't give yourself up?" the voice asked. "I guess this is the end then." Mega Seadramon drew back and flew at Kari with his horn. Kari screamed.   
  
"NOOOO!" Tai yelled.   
  
"No! I'll go with you, just don't hurt her!" T.K. yelled. Mega Seadramon stopped, his horn an inch away.   
  
"You'll go you say?" the voice inquired.   
  
"Yes," T.K. nodded.   
  
"Very well," the voice said. Out of the ground came another stake to which T.K. was tied in the same position as Kari.   
  
"T.K.!" Matt yelled in vain.   
  
"Who else do you have?" Sora demanded. Out of the ground beside T.K. and Kari came two more stakes, attached to them was Willis and Ken in the same position as Kari.   
  
"Patamon digivolved to...Angemon!"   
  
"You can't do this!" Mimi screamed.   
  
"Mimi! When did you get here?" Sora, Tai, and Matt asked.   
  
"Stop!" Cody cried.   
  
"Kari!" Davis yelled.   
  
"T.K.!" Yolei screamed.   
  
"Willis!" Izzy shouted.   
  
"Ken!" Joe called.   
  
"You can't! You can't!" Mimi screamed as tears streamed down her face. "You can't!"   
  
"Watch me," the voice said. Rei and Yamazaki were standing amidst all this, wide mouthed. Angewomon and Angemon drew back to attack. "Na-uh-uh. Not unless you want them to get hurt."   
  
"Willis!" Terriermon yelled.   
  
"No!" Stingmon cried out. Together the stakes rose off the ground.   
  
"You can't do this! This is monstrous!" Mimi screamed in vain. One by one they disappeared.   
  
"No!" Tai, Davis, Yamazaki, and Angewomon yelled as Kari disappeared.   
  
"No!" Matt, Yolei, Rei, and Angemon cried out as T.K. disappeared.   
  
"Come back!" Izzy, Terriermon, Sora, and Cody shouted.   
  
"Nooooooo!" Mimi, Yolei, Sora, Tai, Matt, Davis, Joe, Rei, Yamazaki, and Stingmon all cried as Ken disappeared.   
  
"Thank you," the voice said one last time.   
  
"No," Tai and Matt said as they dropped to their knees. "We've...we've...we've lost them! Nooooooooooooo!" They yelled into the night sky.   
  
*******************   
  
The digidestined awoke the next morning to the sun shining on them. They sat up and found themselves by their school, which had been reduced to rubble. Their digimon lay beside them exhausted. At first they thought it was all one big terrible dream but noticing Patamon, Gatomon, Terriermon, and Wormmon sleeping by each other instead of there partners proved that it was real.   
  
Tai really did lose Kari, and Matt really lost T.K. "This...this...this..." Tai thought as tears began to pour down his face. "They're really gone."   
  
Tai stood and walked around the corner. Matt was sitting on the ground by himself, silent tears running down his face as he stared off into space.   
  
"Darn it. I'm too cool for this," Matt said.   
  
"I know what you mean," Tai said as he joined his best friend on the ground.   
  
"It happened. Just like I was scared it would," Matt said to himself.   
  
"What has?" Tai asked.   
  
"Nothing," Matt replied.   
  
"You don't have to pretend around us, Matt," a feminine voice said. Tai and Matt turned their heads. Sora was standing there. "Go ahead, let it out." She sat in between the two.   
  
"Okay," Matt said as he began slowly. "When my parents divorced, and T.K. went with mom, I became emotionally unstable. I was deadly scared of being alone. That's why... that's why I used to treat T.K. more like he was a bother when I saw him. I loved my little brother and that's why I would crack the whip on him because I didn't want him to get hurt and die.   
  
"But that one day when T.K. was taken by Puppetmon and got back all by himself without my help, I felt, that he didn't need me anymore. That he left me for Tai and left me by myself. That's why I left the group. I felt Tai was trying to steal my little brother from me. I scared of being left alone. Deadly scared of being left alone, and now that T.K.'s gone, I know that what I feared most has happened."   
  
"But you're not alone Matt," Sora said as she pressed Matt's head on her shoulder. "We're here. We're your friends, we worry about you, especially when you begin to shut us out."   
  
"Yeah," Tai said.   
  
"What about you Tai?" Matt asked.   
  
Tai took a deep breath and began, "I remember once when Kari and I were little, she caught a cold and I wanted to go play soccer. So, I took her out and she collapsed and had to be taken from the hospital. I thought I lost Kari. She almost died. I remember promising myself that if she lived, I would never let anything happen to her. And now this has, and I...I let her down. Just when I got her back too." Tai rested his head in Sora's lap.   
  
"It feels better when you talk things out," Sora said. "You remember the other day when Kari said she was filled with things?" Tai nodded. "I think it's because Kari bottles things up inside herself and doesn't talk them out. I don't think Kari's trying to hurt people. It's because she's been keeping things inside for fifteen years and doesn't have anymore room but she still is trying to keep more stuff in side herself.   
  
"So, she ends up exploding and hurting people she doesn't want to hurt because these various feelings are making a comeback. Now I'm not saying we should force her to tell us things, I'm just saying we should coax her into talking her problems out to someone. Like T.K., they seem to share a lot of secrets anyway."   
  
"But there is one thing they can't share with each other," Tai said.   
  
"What's that?" Sora asked.   
  
"Their feelings for each other," Matt answered. "They're both worried if the other doesn't like them, their friendship will be to awkward and they wouldn't be best friends anymore."   
  
"But really, we can't do anything about that," Sora said. "That is a problem they have to work out on their own." Tai and Matt nodded in agreement.   
  
"On a lighter note," Tai said, "No doubt school has been canceled." The threesome laughed as they looked at what remained of their school.   
  
"No doubt about it," Sora said. "Bet the government will have one heck of a time cleaning up Main Street."   
  
"No doubt about that either!" Matt said.   
  
*********************   
  
"What is it, Izzy?" Mimi asked as she sat beside him.   
  
"I don't know. I've been thinking about what happened last night. I can't place that voice. I've never heard it before," Izzy said.   
  
"I can't figure out what the voice wanted with those four. What do they have in common?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Well, we've figure out that the crests of light and hope go together, but kindness and destiny. I'm lost as well."   
  
"Where do you think they went?" Mimi asked.   
  
"I don't know. There are some many parallel worlds they could have been taken to."   
  
"Maybe they went to the digital world," Mimi suggested. "I mean Mega Seadramon is a digimon."   
  
"One would think that," Izzy said, "But, there are also digimon in the Dark Ocean. I know Daemon was sealed there."   
  
"Maybe, but I'm also worried about the digital world. What do you think the virus could do to the digital world if it stays in there long enough?" Mimi asked.   
  
"I don't know. Right now, all I know is that it reconfigured the digital world," Izzy said. "I still have to figure out the virus's properties, but my guess is that the same thing that happened with Diaboromon will happen to the digital world if the virus is left there long enough.'   
  
"I wonder if the digital world will call us again or if we can go in there at any time," Mimi pondered.   
  
"I don't know," Izzy said.   
  
"Izzy I'm worried your crest of knowledge will stop glowing. You're saying 'I don't know' to a lot more questions then comfortable," Mimi joked.   
  
"Mimi," Izzy smiled.   
  
*********************   
  
The younger digidestined awoke to find themselves alone. Matt, Tai, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, and Joe were all gone. Their digimon were too.   
  
"I can't believe they're gone," Yolei sighed. "Willis just got here too."   
  
"Kari might get hurt," Davis said. "I can't get the image out of my head."   
  
"I prefer not to think about the image," Cody said as he pulled out a small Walkman. He put the headphones over his ears and turned on the radio.   
  
"Great," Davis said, "Our teammates just disappeared and Cody's listening to music."   
  
"I don't think that's what he's doing Davis," Yolei said as she sat up.   
  
"Then what is he doing?" Davis asked.   
  
"I don't know. I'm not psychic, Davis," Yolei huffed.   
  
"You should be," Davis said.   
  
"DAVIS!" Yolei yelled, "I'm just as worried and frustrated as you but you don't see _me_ taking it out on _you_! I'm worried about Kari, and T.K., and Ken, and Willis. Stop being a baka! Please! My patience with you is waning!"   
  
"Whatever," Davis said. "So what do we do now, huh? Just sit around for days and wait for Kari, T.K., Ken, and Willis to just fall out of the sky?"   
  
"I don't know Davis," Yolei admitted. "I don't know." Cody turned off the Walkman and took off his headphones.   
  
"School has been canceled," he said.   
  
"Duh. What did you think they were going to do? Teach us outside with no books?" Davis asked hotly.   
  
"Davis, don't be rude," Yolei snapped. She put her head in her hands. "I'm worried." She looked up to the sky. "Where ever you may be Kari...T.K.... Ken...Willis... be safe."   
******************   
  
"I can't believe this. Right when Kari gets back she's kidnapped again. Who knew having the crest of light could be so much work," Joe said.   
  
"Well," Gatomon said, "Kari's always been able to see and hear things other people can't."   
  
"Are you saying we imagined the whole thing?" Joe asked.   
  
"Of course not," Gatomon said. "I'm just saying, Kari's always been special. Different from the others."   
  
"Why didn't you say so?" Joe asked.   
  
"I just did," Gatomon replied.   
  
"I guess so," Joe said. "Kari will be safe though, where ever she and the others may be."   
  
"I know," Gatomon agreed. "But then, it's also no surprise we lost." Joe nodded. Suddenly they heard a scream. Joe and Gatomon turned and ran with Patamon, Terriermon, Wormmon, and Gommamon at their heels.   
  
They slid to a stop in front of their school remains. Yolei, Davis, and Cody were surround by army of Garbagemon, who smelled absolutely awful, and Cherrymon, a tree digimon. Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, and Mimi were already there staring. Joe joined the group. **("Change into Power" intro begins. Oh, yeah...)**   
  
"Are you guys ready?" Tai asked. The others nodded.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power .We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Agumon warp digivolved to...WarGreymon!"   
  
"Go WarGreymon!" Tai yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
"Gabumon warp digivolved to...MetalGarurumon!"   
  
"Show him what you're made of, MetalGarurumon!" Matt said.   
  
**(When I need someone to guide me. To stand right beside me. I know who to choose. And if we stick together, for now and forever. There's no way to loose! Oh, yeah!)**   
  
"Biyomon digivolved to... Birdramon!"   
  
"Birdramon digivolved to... Garudamon!"   
  
"Be safe!" Sora yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Tentomon digivolved to...Kabuterimon!"   
  
"Kabuterimon digivolved to...MegaKabuterimon!"   
  
"MegaKabuterimon!" Izzy said.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
"Gommamon digivolved to...Ikkakumon!"   
  
"Ikkakumon digivolved to...Zudomon!"   
  
"Zudomon!" Joe called.   
  
**(To all the boys and the girls within the digital world. From near or far. We'll be your ultimate friends. And until the end, where ever you are! Oh, yeah!)**   
  
"Palmon digivolved to...Togemon!"   
  
"Togemon digivolved to...Lillymon!"   
  
"I love you!" Mimi yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Veemon digivolved to...ExVeemon!"   
  
"Go ExVeemon!" Davis yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
"Hawkmon digivolved to...Aquilamon!"   
  
"Beat'em Aquilamon!" Yolei said.   
  
**(Digimon, we fight to win! We fight to win! Digimon, we fight to win! We fight to win! Digimon, we fight to win! We fight to win! Digimon, we fight to win!)**   
  
"Armadillomon digivolved to...Ankylomon!"   
  
"Come on Ankylomon!" Cody called.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Terra Force!" WarGreymon shouted as he drew back for the drill.   
  
MetalGarurumon exclaimed, "Metal Wolf Claw!"   
  
"Wing Blade!" Garudamon yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
MegaKabuterimon exclaimed, "Horn Buster!"   
  
"Vulcan's Hammer!" Zudomon yelled.   
  
Lillymon shouted, "Flower Cannon!"   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Vee Laser," ExVeemon yelled.   
  
Aquilamon shouted, "Grand Horn!"   
  
"Tail Hammer!" Ankylomon exclaimed.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Hi guys. I hope you enjoyed my chapter. Please, please, please review. I spent my whole first day of Thanksgiving Vacation writing this so I could put it up for Thanksgiving. Please review. I'll have the next chapter ASAP. I can't remember if I already told you this, but since school started updates will be irregular. Note: All lyrics were gotten from animelyrics.com.   
  
ebacusta *^.~*   



	7. Where are we? The Power of Light

  
  
Ebacusta: Hey guys. I've decided I'm going to lay off my other fic for a while and work on this one. Also, I'm trying to figure out an ingenious plan to put on Kari's Talkshow as a separate fic...*starts going on and on about her ingenious plans*   
  
Kari: *while Ebacusta is still talking* In any case, Ebacusta and company would like to thank:   
  
**miaow227**: for reviewing and   
  
**Digifriends**: for a) reviewing and b) letting Ebacusta use her power idea and   
  
**Sailor Neo**: for your reviews.   
  
Ebacusta: Yes, I'd like to thank Digifriends for letting me use her idea. I really really really appreciate it. So of course, all credit goes to her. By the way miaow227, I really didn't know there were schools that don't give you a Thanksgiving Vacation, unless you're home schooled. Anyway, I just got back from a killer-shopping trip with my mother and brother for after Thanksgiving Sales. I'm super tired because I went to bed a 1:30 a.m. and had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. But since I love you guys so much, I decided to use my last bits of energy to type a second chapter before the end of my break. I'll be busy for the rest of the weekend.   
  
T.K.: In all, sorry if the chapter is a little short. Ebacusta is going to spend the rest of the day at the computer.   
  
Ebacusta: That's right. I'm supposed to be sweeping the floor, but I'm risking my life for you guys so please review. Besides, your reviews encourage me to keep going when I want to collapse after huge homework sessions.   
  
Kari: Well, we need to do the disclaimer so we don't waste anymore time. Who wants to do it? *Izzy, Ken, Willis, and Davis raise their hands* How about you Willis?   
  
Willis: *steps to mike* Ebacusta does not own any of the digimon characters or the digimon announcer. She does own her made up characters like: Kei, Rei, Haruki, Sousuke, Ryo, and others. She definitely does not own the idea of "powers." That belongs to Digifriends.   
  
Izzy: Good job, Willis. I couldn't have done better myself.   
  
T.K.: Well, we don't want to waste anymore of your time. Fic time   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again

  


By ebacusta

  


Chapter 7:

  
  


**Where are we? The Power of Light**

  
  
----------------------------------------   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Terra Force!" WarGreymon shouted as he drew back for the drill.   
  
MetalGarurumon exclaimed, "Metal Wolf Claw!"   
  
"Wing Blade!" Garudamon yelled.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
MegaKabuterimon exclaimed, "Horn Buster!"   
  
"Vulcan's Hammer!" Zudomon yelled.   
  
Lillymon shouted, "Flower Cannon!"   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. We got the strength within it. We always fight to win!)**   
  
"Vee Laser," ExVeemon yelled.   
  
Aquilamon shouted, "Grand Horn!"   
  
"Tail Hammer!" Ankylomon exclaimed.   
  
**(Change into power! We got the power. Together, you and me will. Win the victory!)**   
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
Kari woke with a groan. She sat up and rubbed her aching head before she ran a hand through her hair. Pink flowers fell out. She looked around and saw that the area was completely surrounded by Sakura trees. The beautiful pink flowered trees were in full bloom. She heard another groan. She tossed her head around, as before she had not seen anyone in the area other than herself.   
  
She slowly got to her feet and advanced cautiously in the direction she thought the sound had come from. She stepped through the trees and looked around. No one.   
  
"Ow, my head. It's killing me," a voice said. Her head shot up so fast she heard a soft cracking sound and her hand shot to the back of her neck. Up in a tree in the most awkward position Kari had ever seen was Willis. His leg was draped over one branch his other leg dangled towards the ground. His arms were tangled in branches at different levels and his body was sitting in a little grove where the branch met the trunk.   
  
His crystal clear lagoon colored blue eyes opened. His head turned this way and that and then he looked down. Surprised he was off the ground he jerked and this messed up the delicate balance the position had put him in. The branches released him and he fell to the ground with a storm of Sakura petals encircling him. There was a loud crash as he hit the ground.   
  
"Ow!" Willis said. Kari giggled. Willis's head turned. (A/N. My typing speed is slowing down b/c I'm painting my nails while typing. Not one of my smarter ideas.) The dapple light cast interesting shadows over his body. A light breeze picked up and blew his spiky blonde hair softly.   
  
"Kari!" Willis said. He stood and reached out to hug her. She accepted this hug as he said, "How've ya been?"   
  
"Good, how 'bout you?" Kari asked as they pulled apart.   
  
"Good," came her reply.   
  
"When did you get here?" Kari asked.   
  
"I was at your school on Thursday, but you were gone. I'm transferring here for a year," Willis told her. "I actually was there on Wednesday for a little bit. Yolei said you had been kidnapped." Kari nodded.   
  
"So you were the boy I saw at school on Wednesday. You were watching my PE class," Kari said. Willis nodded. "I'm in your class actually," he said.   
  
"That's nice," Kari said. "But, though it's been nice talking to you, we need to find the others." He nodded again. They went back through the Sakura trees and back into the clearing. They started walking. Ten minutes later, Willis suddenly stopped.   
  
" What's wrong?" Kari asked as she stared at him.   
  
"I hear water," he said. They were silent and Kari strained her ears trying to hear. After a minute, she too heard running water.   
  
"Should we go?" she asked. Willis nodded, "Cautiously." They continued down the path. The farther down they went the louder the sound of running water became. Soon they saw a stream. They began to follow it veering off the path. Thirty minutes later Kari was beginning to get a little tired but she continued with Willis at her side none the less.   
  
A pond came into view. Willis said, "We can rest here." Kari nodded gratefully. As they approached they saw a figure lying face down. They moved closer. It was draped over a rock, teetering dangerously towards falling in. They stopped at the edge of the water and looked down. The pond was deeper than they had thought and there was waterfall too.   
  
Kari squinted at the figure. A boy with indigo hair. Ken! "Willis it's Ken!" Kari said.   
  
"Ken? Oh, I believe I met him on Thursday. He's in your class right?" Willis asked. Kari nodded.   
  
"How are we going to get to him?" Kari asked worriedly. Her and Willis begin to argue taking their eyes off Ken. Suddenly they heard a splash. Kari's head whipped around and before Willis could stop her, she dived into the pond, clothes and all. Willis had managed to pull her shoes off in an attempt to catch her.   
  
Kari surfaced again and began swimming towards the rock. She reached it in two minutes flat. She looked around, took a deep breath, and plunged beneath the surface. Little did they know, a boy was watching her. His pupils shrunk as his eyes began to glow bright yellow.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~Kari's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
I took a deep breath and went beneath the surface. I could barely see Ken still falling. I swam towards him as fast as I could. I grabbed hold of his hand and tried to pull him up with me but for some reason he wouldn't come. I pulled as hard as I could until I ran out of air and then I went back under.   
  
I swam harder and caught back up with him. This time I went underneath him and tried to push him up. Something pushed down. I tucked Ken underneath my arm and started the long swim back to the top. I hadn't realized I had been falling with Ken. Swimming up one handed was harder than I thought. Especially with some invisible force pushing down on you.   
  
Halfway back up I ran out of air. What air I had left came out of my mouth in bubbles. I swam harder as I pushed against the force with all my might. I was almost to the surface. I broke the surface and gasped for air, pulling Ken out of the water with me.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~Normal POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Willis stared worriedly at the surface of the deadly still and silent pond. It was almost like right when Kari jumped into the water all the sound stopped. The waterfall was silent, as were the birds around the pond, as if the world was holding its breath. She had been down there to long for comfort.   
  
Suddenly Kari burst out of the water gulping in air. She brought Ken to the surface and swam to the side. Willis helped her out of the pond and she collapsed on the ground her chest heaving. When she finally got her breathing under control she crawled over to Ken. Willis had just got him to cough up any water he had swallowed with CPR.   
  
"Is he okay?" Kari asked.   
  
"I think he's going to be okay," Willis said.   
  
"That's a relief," Kari sighed.   
  
"What happened down there?" Willis inquired. "I was really worried."   
  
"The pond is like a bottomless pit," Kari told him. "And it won't let you escape without using a lot of energy. Every way I tried to pull Ken out, this force did whatever it could to keep him and me under. I pulled it pulled. I swam up it swam down."   
  
"Weird," Willis said. Ken coughed and sputtered.   
  
"Ken!" Kari cried as she and Willis turned their attention back to the boy.   
  
"Where am I?" Ken asked as he sat up.   
  
"I don't know. That's a good question," Kari said. "Where are we?" Willis shrugged.   
  
"Where's T.K.?" Ken asked.   
  
"T.K.!" Kari cried.   
  
"How are we going to find him?" Willis asked curiously.   
  
"I don't know," Kari admitted.   
  
"I have an idea," Ken said sitting up. "You have your D-3 right?" Kari nodded. "We'll use those to pick up on the signal from his D-3."   
  
"That's a brilliant idea!" Kari exclaimed. She pulled it out of her pocket.   
  
"Wait a minute, Kari, shouldn't you be soaking wet? And you too Ken?" Willis asked.   
  
Ken and Kari fell dead silent. "We should. But we're dry," they said together.   
  
"We'll worry about it later," Kari said as she shook the thought from her head. She stood up and look at her D-3. "He's around here!" Kari said excitedly.   
  
Willis and Ken followed Kari as she walked back to the stream. She started to follow it. They followed it up for hours. Finally, panting, they stopped at a place where the water spilled happily over the edge. Kari approached the edge slowly.   
  
"Be careful," Willis said. Kari looked over the edge and saw a pond.   
  
"Guys," she said. "The pond where we were just standing is down there." Kari turned. "We're on top of the waterfall."   
  
"That's impossible," Ken said, "Water can't go up. How could it possibly gone up the cliffs with us?"   
  
"I don't think this place is exactly normal," Willis said as he looked around.   
  
"Where's T.K.? I don't see him," Kari said. They looked around.   
  
"There!" Ken said as he pointed to the very edge of the waterfall. A boy was standing in the middle of it on a rock.   
  
"Takeru.!" Kari called. He turned. "It is him!" Suddenly he charged towards her. Kari felt this surge of dark energy and moved just in time. T.K. slid right past her with a sword outstretched.   
  
Kari's eyes filled with fear as she said, "Takeru, what's wrong? Don't you remember me?" He turned again and threw something to the ground before her feet. She bent down and picked it up. A sword.   
  
"Angel of Light, fight me," T.K. said. His voice didn't sound normal. Lower and it had a tinge of desire in it.   
  
"I don't want to," Kari said as she backed away.   
  
"Fight me," T.K. repeated.   
  
"No," Kari said shaking her head. Willis and Ken moved towards her but something restrained them.   
  
"Fight me," T.K. repeated again.   
  
"T.K.? What has gotten into you," Kari asked. T.K. charged at her and she held the sword sheath in front of her.   
  
"I'll say it one last time," T.K. growled through clenched teeth pressing the sword against her sheath. "Fight me or your friends are history." Kari glanced at Willis and Ken. Something was holding daggers to their throats.   
  
"Kari, that's not the real T.K.!" Ken yelled.   
  
"Quiet," said one of the things, who Kari now presumed to be a person, growled pressing the dagger closer.   
  
"What's it gonna be?" T.K. asked, his voice low and seductive. "Fight me or say good bye to your friends." Kari drew the sword. "I thought so," T.K. said.   
  
"Has Kari ever wielded a sword in her life?" Willis asked.   
  
"I have no clue," Ken said. Kari and T.K. were now across the waterfall from each other. The waterfall span was larger than any of them had thought. A good fifteen feet wide at least. There was a large flat rock in between that was six feet wide. Neither of them was moving.   
  
"First one in the water loses," T.K. said. Kari nodded.   
  
Suddenly Kari and T.K. flew at each other across the water. Kari's hair flew behind her as she met T.K. in the middle. T.K. and Kari quickly got into a fast paced match. High, low, middle, middle, low, high, low, low, low, low, high, middle. Kari blocked them all as T.K. thrust and swung. She jumped when he did a horizontal swing. She did low, low, high, middle, middle, high, low. T.K. blocked hers and came at her with his own. Kari was doing the same.   
  
The attacks canceled each other out and both T.K. and Kari were pushed back. They were panting. Charge. Low. Middle. High. Vertical swing. Horizontal swing. Sweep kick. Thrust. Low. Low. Low. Middle. Low. Low. High. Block. High. Block. High. Block. Feign high and then low. Low. Low. High. High. Middle. High. Block. Jump, stab. Both their weapons spiraled into rocks on the other side of the waterfall. They looked and then turned back to each other with raised fists.   
  
They charged at each other again. High punch, low kick. Knee. Slap. Punch in stomach. Flying kick. Kari did a back punch and her arm was caught by T.K.   
  
"So far you've done better than I expected you to against me. But your streak ends here." He flipped her over his back but she grabbed a hold of his collar. Both of them fell into the water.   
  
"I can't believe this," T.K. gasped. "How is this possible? How did you keep up with me so well?"   
  
Kari ignored him, "Release my friends." The people, swords, and T.K. disappeared.   
  
"Where's the real Takeru?" Kari asked as she looked at Willis.   
  
"Apparently he was imprisoned by that other T.K. look," Willis said. Kari turned and saw her best friend lying peacefully on the rock where the battle had just taken place. He groaned and sat up.   
  
"Takeru!" Kari cried as she climbed back on the rock.   
  
"Hikari!" T.K. said as they hugged.   
  
"I was so worried," they said at the same time. They could tell. They never called each other by their real names unless they were super worried about the other. Together the group climbed down the cliff and trekked through the forest as T.K. told them what happened.   
  
"Well, I woke up with this throbbing headache and I was sinking in that pond. I tried to swim upwards but ran out of air and fainted again. Well, that boy saved me but locked me up. I don't know where. Anyway, I heard him say something about the 'angel of light' as I was waking up a little. All I could think about was you Kari but I feel back into sleep," T.K. explained.   
  
"I'm glad you're okay," Kari said again. Suddenly they emerged onto a street. They looked around curiously. "This seems like a normal place. Maybe we're still in Japan." The others agreed.   
  
"What should we do?" Ken asked. Willis's stomach gave a loud growl. "I'm famished," Willis said.   
  
"I don't think we've had anything to eat all day," Kari thought aloud. The others nodded.   
  
"Then our first priority is to eat," T.K. said. They crossed the street and began walking towards a café at the end of the block. They walked fast with purpose as none of them thought they could survive for another hour without food. They entered and sat down. Talking quietly, Kari said after they ordered, "T.K. and I saw a costume shop a few stores down. We're going to go check it out really quick." Willis and Ken nodded. T.K. and Kari left.   
  
They walked down the street and entered the shop. T.K. and Kari looked through the racks and shelves laughing at things they saw. T.K. and Kari stopped when they saw a rack full of wigs. They approached it silently and picked up a stack of them. They rushed to the dressing room area and began putting them on, laughing uncontrollably at their images. In the end, Kari and T.K. put all the wigs back except two. One for each of them.   
  
Kari had a long black wig while T.K. had a long blonde wig. They continued through the store and T.K. spied a package of fake nails which he and Kari got each a different color. He got green; Kari got pink. T.K. and Kari got a skirt, rubber bands, and a bag of clips. They laughed as they bought the stuff and went into the dressing rooms to change.   
  
T.K. and Kari put on their wigs, glued on the fake nails, and skirts. They put their normal clothes in the shopping bag and walked out of the store laughing so hard they had to lean on each other for support. The wind picked up a little and blew their "hair" out behind them as they walked.   
  
They entered the café and walked back over to their table.   
  
"T.K.?" Ken gasped.   
  
"Kari?" Willis gaped. T.K. and Kari sat down laughing so hard they were crying and red in the face. When they finally calmed down Ken asked, "What are you wearing?" This got them started again. When the food arrived, T.K. and Kari ate. T.K. was wearing his infamous white hat over the wig. They paid for the bill and left the café.   
  
"T.K.," Willis began. T.K. interrupted "It's T.R. now." This got him and Kari started once again. 'T.R. as in Teresa," Kari gasped. When they calmed down Willis said, "What are you doing?" The question was never answered as a voice yelled, "There they are. Our new students." The four were picked up and carried to a limousine outside. They were so surprised they couldn't move.   
  
Once inside the limousine the owner of the voice, a rather large woman with thick curly brown hair, said, "You kids are going to be newest addition to our school. You possess powers that you may not be aware of now but we'll will help you cultivate them."   
  
"What are you talking about?" Kari asked. "We don't have powers."   
  
"Ah. But you do. You are just not aware of them," the woman said.   
  
"Ma'am," Willis interrupted, "we have no clue what you are talking about."   
  
"I figured you wouldn't," the woman huffed. "Your powers are locked away inside of you. You don't know about your powers because you've never had a need for them before." The car stopped and the woman ushered them out. She took them to her office where she loudly announced over the intercom that she wanted the whole school outside in the courtyard for a special assembly.   
  
T.K., Kari, Willis, and Ken were walking beside her as she asked, "What are your names?"   
  
"Hikari. Hikari Kamiya. Kari for short."   
  
"Teresa. Takaishi T.K. for short." Crap. He hadn't meant to say that.   
  
"Willis. Willis Summer. (A/N. Terrible name, but I was thinking of his image "Streets to the Summer." Maybe I'll change it later. Any ideas?)   
  
"Ken Ichijouji," Ken said.   
  
"Well, Kari, Teresa, Willis, and Ken. You are now officially going to this school," the woman announced.   
  
"Crap," they all thought.   
  
"What is the name of this school?" Ken asked.   
  
"Riverton's Boarding School," the woman told them.   
  
"**_Boarding School?!?!_**" they all yelled in unison.   
  
"Yes. Riverton's Boarding School," the woman repeated. "I am the headmistress. Hilga Riverton."   
  
"**_Hilga Riverton?!?!_**" they all yelled in unison again.   
  
"Yes, but that's Mrs. Riverton to you four," she said. "After the assembly the rest will be decided. They stopped in front of some glass doors. Mrs. Riverton leaned in close and said, "By the way, _Takeru_, I wouldn't keep that wig on for to long."   
  
T.K. stood still amazed, his mouth hanging open. The others were looking at her. "How did she know?" he mouthed. Kari shrugged.   
  
"Come on you four," she said as she pushed them through the glass doors into a lavish garden. Various buildings encircled the courtyard. Kids of all ages were all seated. Mrs. Riverton stepped on to a stage.   
  
"My dear Pupils. I am proud to announce that the second year class of the higher years will have five new classmates: Hikari Kamiya, Teresa Emerson, T.K. Takaishi, Ken Ichijouji, and Willis Summer." Kari turned to face T.K. and saw that he was standing there without his wig or anything. Wearing what he had been wearing before. Beside him stood a girl wearing what he used to be wearing. She had the hair and nails.   
  
Kari looked at herself and saw that she was back in her old clothes too. The only things still remaining were the nails and even then, Kari realized they were her real nails painted pink. "What happened?" she mouthed to the others. They shrugged and shook their heads.   
  
"Miss Kamiya, why don't you introduce yourself?"   
  
"Huh?" Kari stepped onto the stage up to the microphone. "My name is..." she never finished her sentence. Just then huge robots landed gracefully in the courtyard.   
  
"Target identified," one of them droned. The robots were red and purple with red heads. There were about eight of them. One of them reached out his purple hand and out of it came a metal coil that headed straight for Kari. She dived out of the way to avoid it but it crashed through the building.   
  
The other students ran ducked down and screamed. "It's the Sentinels!" (A/N. If you've ever seen X-Men you probably know what I'm talking about. I don't know why but I just decided to put these in here. By the way, they belong to Stan Lee and Marvel or whoever. Not me.)   
  
The others held out their hands and seven more metal coils came at her. She jumped out of the way ducked, dived, and such to dodge them. She did not understand why they were going after her. T.K. and the others tried to go towards her but were picked up by some of the coils and held upside down. One of the coils managed to wrap around Kari and it reeled her back in, putting her inside this compartment in its chest. The students all gawked. They had never seen this happen before. Sure Sentinels had attacked but they had never actually gotten anyone.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~Inside the Sentinel~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Kari banged against the compartment door. "Let me out!" she yelled. "Let me out!" She stood up and kicked it. Pushed against it. "Let me out!" Suddenly a strange sensation enveloped her. What was happening?   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~In the Courtyard~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
"Look!" one of the students screamed pointing upwards. Eyes followed and they saw the Sentinel that had picked up the girl was stumbling about. A bright light emitting out of the compartment. Suddenly the compartment covering blew off entirely. A bright light floated out. The light started moving towards what they presumed to be the girl's hands.   
  
The Sentinels began blasting red beams at her. She was floating and moved. Suddenly she fell.   
  
"No!" T.K. screamed.   
  
"She landed on the ground perfectly and then in a blur flew forward and jumped up slicing the Sentinel in two perfect halves. She was in the sky again. She turned with her arms twisted above her head and then she moved one hand down in front of her and blasted one of the robots heads clean off. Another one she stabbed through.   
  
She blasted right through another one leaving. She blasted blinded another one into falling onto one already on the ground. She turned to the remaining three holding her hands. She blasted the coils so they broke and T.K., Ken, and Willis fell. They got caught in a tree and fought their way down.   
  
Kari tricked one of them into blasting one, and blasted the last one into the other two causing a huge explosion. The students watched as Kari discharged sending a giant white beam into the heavens. After all the excess energy was gone, Kari fell from the sky. T.K. ran as hard as he could and caught her, diving through a window in the process.   
  
"Kari. Kari. Are you all right?" T.K. asked.   
  
"She'll be fine," Mrs. Riverton said. "I told you that you had powers you were unaware of." She yelled across the courtyard, "Students go back to your dorms at once!" The students all filed off in different directions apparently going to their dorm rooms.   
  
You five come with me," Mrs. Riverton said. They went into her office and she said, "Here are your class schedules, dorm room keys, and books. Be ready in the morning, Kelsey and Jake will be at your room to help find your way around for the first few days. Now, get going." Willis and Ken both picked up a pile of books while T.K. took the dorm keys, schedules and Kari. Teresa followed dumbly behind.   
  
They made their way to the first dorm and knocked. This was a girls' dorm.   
  
"Hello?" a girl with pretty Persian eyes answered.   
  
"Yeah, is the room Kari is sleeping in?" T.K. asked. The girl nodded. She moved aside and allowed T.K. and the others in before showing them to a bare room. It contained a bed, a closet, and a desk. T.K. lay Kari on the bed while Willis and Ken sorted out books. They separated them into three stacks. T.K. lay Kari's schedule on top of her books and her dorm key beside that. They picked up their books and left.   
  
**************   
  
The next morning Kari woke with a yawn and stretched. She looked around the room she was sleeping in. Bare. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the dresser. It was separated by type: Under Clothes, School Gatherings, Relaxation, and Sleep wear. She looked in the closet. Seven uniforms were hanging up. She took out some clothes and a uniform and walked to the bathroom to shower and change.   
  
When Kari got back to her room she looked at her schedule. Her first class was Geography. She checked out the closet again and found a satchel inside she loaded up the books for her first few classes and left. She walked out of the dorm building. She decided to find T.K. and the others. She ran to the boys dorm and looked at the mailboxes to find T.K., Ken, and Willis's rooms. Willis and T.K. were on the top floor while Ken was a floor beneath them.   
  
Kari ran up the stairs to the top floor and walked down the hall until she got to T.K.'s room. She knocked. The door opened and T.K. slipped out.   
  
"I hate this place," he said. "Can we go?" Kari nodded. "Let's go get Ken and Willis," she said. They walked farther down the hall and upon reaching Willis's room knocked. Willis opened the door and ran out slamming the door shut behind him.   
  
"I hate this place," he told them. "Can we leave?" Kari smiled. The threesome walked downstairs. They didn't even have to move from their spot on the stairs. Ken came running up.   
  
"I hate this place," Ken gasped. "Can we leave? Run-Away? Scoot the Boot?" Kari burst out laughing, as did everyone else in the small group. The group walked down the stairs together and out of the building back to the main one. They entered the cafeteria. They sat at a table together.   
  
Kari whispered, "So nobody likes it here. We'll stay here for a week and during that week we'll learn the school I every possible way we can. Find out it's secret hide away places and such. Then, we'll make a plan on how to escape and then we'll leave."   
  
The boys nodded. "What do we do? Until then I mean. Everyone is to busy staring at us, there really isn't much we can do right now," Willis reasoned.   
  
"With everyone watching us, things might be harder," Ken agreed.   
  
"Especially since all the guys think Kari's hot," T.K. said.   
  
"And all the girls think you guys are hot," Kari finished.   
  
"This could be a problem. Furthermore, I don't like the headmistress Mrs. Riverton," Ken said.   
  
"Me neither," T.K. jumped in. "How would she know my real name if I never told it to her?"   
  
"She is kind of creepy," Kari agreed.   
  
"Did you see how she spilt T.K.'s disguise into a totally different person and completely removed your disguise without you even noticing?" Willis asked.   
  
"No normal person can do that," Ken remarked.   
  
"Bu then again, no one here is really normal," T.K. added. "not even us."   
  
"True. Here we don't stand out at all except for being the new kids," Kari thought out loud.   
  
"I've been thinking," Willis said suddenly, "Why do you think that voice brought us here? This really doesn't make any sense. He puts us in a dimension almost exactly like our own except here we discover we have powers. How will that help him at all?"   
  
"I never really thought about that," Ken said. "Do you think maybe this was a mistake?"   
  
"Maybe," Kari said. "The T.K. person, I don't really get why he showed up. I'm really confused now."   
  
"I don't think we should think about it guys," T.K. said suddenly. Maybe this is not what was intended to happen. I bet we'll get to where we're really supposed to be soon. But making ourselves more confused will not help our situation."   
  
"I guess," they said one after another. They got up and tossed the breakfasts they hadn't even touched in the garbage and left for the classroom.   
  
"The headmistress," Kari began, "what do you think her powers are? I don't get her either. She takes us off the street, says we have powers, does weird things. I don't get her at all."   
  
"We'll have to talk about it later," Ken said as they stopped outside the classroom. "We'll leave at break, which is third period. We'll have to leave right after class gets out. We'll leave and hopefully by the time break is over we'll be far enough away they won't be able to find us." They nodded and entered the classroom. Through two boring classes Kari, T.K., Willis, and Ken sat. At break they jumped out of their chairs and ran out of the classroom.   
  
They joined the group of children heading for the main building. While the children continued to the Commons Area T.K., Kari, Ken, and Willis all ran for the door. They burst through the door and jumped the fence. Running as hard as they could they ran down the street and continued. They ran into the Costume Shop on the way. They decided to go inside.   
  
They quickly went through things grabbing random stuff and paying for it. They threw it on. Willis was a cowboy. Ken was a punk rocker. T.K. was a Girl Scout, and Kari was Yolei. In this world, they must have thought digimon didn't exist and that it was just a TV shoe.   
  
Out of the store they ran, never stopping. They got on the subway and went as far north as possible. They switched trains and went farther north. Finally, when they got off they had no clue where they were, they stepped off and went back into the streets. They were walking through a park right by the railing when the T.K. appeared. He kicked Kari over the side and watched as she fell screaming.   
  
"No!" the real T.K. said running for the railing but was restrained by the other T.K.   
  
"Keep out of this," the T.K. commanded as he held the real T.K. by his neck.   
  
Kari's flailing arms caught a branch sticking out of the side of the cliff walls. She hung there for a minute breathing hard. Her heart sank as she heard a cracking sound.   
  
"Tai where are you?" Kari thought in her mind. She felt her stomach drop as the branch broke off. She continued to fall screaming.   
  
Back by the railing Rei appeared. She kissed T.K. (not Kari's T.K.) and said, "Well done my sweet." He smiled.   
  
TBC.   
  
Announcer from Digimon: What will happen with Kari? T.K.? And the others? What warped dimension has T.K. doing Rei's dirty work and actually enjoying it? Find out in the next chapter of Try, Try, Try, Again.   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Hi guys. Once again, thank you Digifriends for allowing me to use you powers idea. All the credit for that belongs to her. Please review. I worked all day on this for you. Please, please, please review. I'm going to try and have something else up before I have to go back to school on Monday, but there is no guarantee I'll be able too. In any case, your reviews will make me work harder to get up another chapter and the next chapter will be totally awesome. Don't worry if you're a little confused about his chapter. It will all be explained in the next chapter. What did you guys think of the battle scene against the other T.K.?   
  
ebacusta *^.~* 


	8. It all makes sense now The Power of Wind

Try, Try, Try, Again- Chapter 8   
Ebacusta: Oh my god. My third chapter in four days. This almost makes you guys can't wait for Winter Break. I just put up Chapter 7 and am now starting on Chapter 8. I didn't want to leave you guys confused for three weeks so I'm going to work on this for as long as I can. Science Fair is coming up and it's very stressful. In any case...   
  
Kari: We really hope you enjoy the chapters. Ebacusta is going to try and iron out what happened in Chapters 6 and especially 7, but if you still don't get it even after she's done, then email her at hintcorp@aol.com, she'll explain for you. By the way, this chapter happens at the same time as the previous chapter. By the way, Ebacusta would like to thank:   
  
**miaow227**: for your review.   
  
T.K.: Anyway, after the disclaimer we'll get right into the story. Who wants to do it? *all the digidestined raise their hands* Mimi.   
  
Mimi: Yes! Ebacusta owns none of the digidestined characters, nor does she own the idea of the digidestined having powers, which belongs to Digifriends. She does own the evil T.K., Rei, Haruki, Ryo, Sousuke, and the other made up characters.   
  
Izzy: Exquisite job, Mimi.   
  
Ebacusta: By the way Sailor Neo. You're request will be in this chapter.   
  
T.K. & Matt: Fic Time! *^.^*   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again

  


By ebacusta

  


Chapter 8:

  
  


**It all makes sense now- The Power of Wind**

  
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
Out of the store they ran, never stopping. They got on the subway and went as far north as possible. They switched trains and went farther north. Finally, when they got off they had no clue where they were, they stepped off and went back into the streets. They were walking through a park right by the railing when the T.K. appeared. He kicked Kari over the side and watched as she fell screaming.   
  
"No!" the real T.K. said running for the railing but was restrained by the other T.K.   
  
"Keep out of this," the T.K. commanded as he held the real T.K. by his neck.   
  
Kari's flailing arms caught a branch sticking out of the side of the cliff walls. She hung there for a minute breathing hard. Her heart sank as she heard a cracking sound.   
  
"Tai where are you?" Kari thought in her mind. She felt her stomach drop as the branch broke off. She continued to fall screaming.   
  
Back by the railing Rei appeared. She kissed T.K. (not Kari's T.K.) and said, "Well done my sweet." He smiled.   
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
"Pit Pelter," Cherrymon exclaimed.   
  
"Junk Chunker," the Garbagemon yelled. They threw the pick sludge but it disintegrated as WarGreymon drilled threw park of the group with his Terra Force. MetalGarurumon sliced through some more. More bit the dust with the Horn Buster and Vulcan's Hammer. The sludge went right through the Vee Laser and Grand Horn. The Tail Hammer batted them away like a baseball bat. The Wing Blade and Flower Cannon hit Cherrymon.   
  
Tai said to the younger digidestined, "You guys aren't strong enough. You're only champions."   
  
"So?" Davis said.   
  
"These are ultimates. They're stronger than you," Matt jumped in.   
  
"I beat MaloMyotismon didn't I?" Davis countered.   
  
"Gee, thanks for taking all the credit Davis," Yolei said in the background her eyes were half closed as were Cody's. (A/N. You know when people in anime are being sarcastic sometimes they'll have these eyes.)   
  
"You used Imperialdramon Fighter Mode," Sora said. "He's stronger."   
  
"Then we'll..." Davis started but back down as he remembered Ken wasn't here. "ExVeemon, come on let's go." ExVeemon turned around, picked Davis up, and flew off.   
  
"Where is he going?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Oh my god!" Yolei yelled in frustration. "Davis! Aquilamon!" The great bird turned and Yolei got on.   
  
"Wait Yolei, I'm coming too!" Sora called. She too climbed on the bird and they both flew off after him.   
  
"What was that all about?" Izzy asked.   
  
Cody sighed, "Davis probably feels that you guys don't want him around because you guys think he's weak and useless." Armadillomon walked over.   
  
"That's the last thing we need," Matt raved, "Our team to be falling apart."   
  
"Why would he think that? We're not like him!" Tai joked. They laughed.   
  
"Davis is just like that sometimes," Cody replied.   
  
*******************   
  
The bird landed. "Davis should be around here somewhere," Sora thought looking around.   
  
"When I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring his neck. Why is he like this?" Yolei growled. Yolei also took this opportunity to look around. They were standing in an alley in between a building and what looked like a warehouse. Sora saw a door open and said, "Yolei, stay here, I'll be right back."   
  
"Wait Sora!" Yolei called as Sora opened the door wider and slipped in. The warehouse was dimly lit through the grimy windows. She looked up and saw at least five floors. The distinct sound of water dripping echoed through the empty building.   
  
Sora moved quietly and called, "Davis." Her voice echoed. "Davis. Please come out. What's wrong?" Sora stopped and listened, nothing but dripping water. "Davis!" Sora said as she resumed walking. "Davis, please come out. I'm worried about you. What's wrong?" Sora continued through the warehouse.   
  
********************   
  
Davis lifted his head as Sora passed calling for him. He didn't want to be found. He felt depressed. It wasn't Tai or Matt, Davis was depressed more about Kari. She and T.S. were both gone and that meant they would get to spend even more time together. On top of that, the team wasn't together anymore.   
  
"What did those ropes with those four? What do they have in common?" Davis thought. "In any case, it does matter. Kari doesn't like me anyway. She never comes to my house by herself, or goes to the movies with me. It's always with T.A. or with the other digidestined. Why do I even care?"   
  
Davis thought about what had happened the other day. Those ropes, they were black, but there was something unusual about them. Something he couldn't quite place.   
  
"Please Davis, come out. I'm worried," he heard Sora beg. "What's wrong? We can talk about it and nobody else has to know." Maybe he did need to talk about it for someone. But wait, Sora was all for Kari and T.O. she would probably tell him to just leave them alone and forget about her.   
  
He had tried. For three years he tried to forget about his feelings for Kari, but he couldn't. No matter what he did, they always came back, whether it was in his dreams or when he saw the two together somewhere laughing. He blamed on Jun because her always talking about Matt reminded him of T.G. But maybe they just weren't supposed to be together.   
  
"Davis, keeping things inside won't help. You need to talk things out. Please, I just want to help you," Sora called.   
  
He buried his head back in his knees. He had changed a lot in the past few years. He had still kept some of his old personality traits, but maybe he had grown up in terms of his emotions. He never used to get depressed about these things. Maybe it's just a phase. He'd grow out of it. Or maybe talking to someone would help.   
  
"Sora!" he called out. He heard her footsteps quicken as she ran towards the spot where she had heard his voice. She stopped and looked around. Spotting him in the shadows. She approached.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked crouching beside him. He looked at her. She was nice looking. Cute no doubt with her slightly tanned skin and fit body, but she was Tai's girl. He told her. She stared at him for a long time. Finally he said, "Just go ahead and say it."   
  
"Say what?" she asked.   
  
"That I should just forget about my feelings for Kari because she's with T.L."   
  
"I will not say that Davis," Sora said indignantly.   
  
"Then what will you say?" Davis asked crossly.   
  
"To follow your heart." Davis looked shocked. "If you love Kari and your heart tells you to tell her, tell her. If she doesn't feel the same way, there's really nothing anyone can do. But, if your heart does not tell you to tell her, then don't."   
  
"Really?" Sora nodded. She stood and held down her hand. "How about we get out of here?" Davis grinned, took her hand, and stood.   
  
"Where's Veemon?" Sora asked.   
  
"He's around," Davis replied, "Veemon!" The blue digimon leaped off the top of a stack of crates.   
  
"Are we ready to go?" Veemon asked. "Feeling perkier?" Davis laughed and nodded. "Glad you're back to your old self, buddy!" Veemon said. Together they exited the warehouse where Yolei was waiting leaning against the wall, Hawkmon beside her.   
  
"'bout time," Yolei said pushing off the wall. Her anger at Davis was long gone.   
  
"Hawkmon digivolved to...Aquilamon!" They all climbed on the bird's back and flew towards the school.   
  
*****************   
  
The next morning Mimi sat up rubbing her eyes. She was laying in a hotel bed. Her parents were tying to decide if they should move back to Japan. She got up, picked out a short white skirt and a white shirt with a blue and red strip across the chest area. She took a shower and went back into the room. She pulled an ice cream cup from the smaller refrigerator and sat down at the desk.   
  
She pulled out a plastic spoon from the box on the desk and she quietly dialed Izzy's number. It rang a few times before Mimi heard Izzy answer.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Hey Izzy, do you think I could come over? Mom and Dad are sleeping and I wanted someone to talk to," Mimi whispered.   
  
"Mimi is that you? What are you doing calling at six in the morning?"   
  
"I don't know," Mimi whispered. "I guess I couldn't sleep."   
  
"I guess," Izzy said.   
  
"Thank you." Mimi quickly put the ice cream away and threw away the spoon. She brushed her teeth again, wrote a note to her parents and with her hotel key at hand, she slipped out of the room. She put her shoes on out here and left the building. On the way she decided to pick up some breakfast for Izzy as a thanks for letting her come over this early.   
  
She walked into a small restaurant and walked up to the counter.   
  
"May I help you?" asked a petite woman with strawberry blonde hair.   
  
"Hello. Yes, I'd like a cinnamon roll and two large hot chocolates to go please," Mimi said. "Of course. The total is $4.68." (A/N. I don't feel like using the exchange rate to multiply this right now.) Mimi dug out the money and laid it on the counter. She watched as the woman put the hot chocolate in cups. The woman picked out a small cinnamon roll.   
  
"Um, ma'am," Mimi stopped her as she moved to where she was standing. She looked through the glass to stare at the pastries. "I'd like that one there." Mimi was pointing to the largest cinnamon roll in the glass container. The woman stared at her for a minute and then placed the small cinnamon roll back and put the larger one inside the bag. The woman took the money and gave Mimi her change.   
  
"Thank you," Mimi said as she picked up the hot chocolates and the cinnamon roll. She continued towards Izzy's house. When she got there she sat down her hot chocolate and tapped quietly on the door.   
  
*****************   
  
Izzy ran for the door. A towel wrapped around his waist.   
  
"Hope mom didn't hear that?" he thought. He opened the door and saw Mimi standing there smiling.   
  
"Hi Izzy," Mimi said.   
  
"Hi Mimi, would you like to come in?" he asked as he stepped aside holding the door open.   
  
"Thank you," Mimi said as she stepped in. She waited in the living room while Izzy went into his room to change. When he came out he said, "Sorry, I had just gotten out of the shower when I thought I heard someone tap on the door." Mimi and him went into his room.   
  
"I brought you breakfast," Mimi said smiling as she held up the cinnamon roll and hot chocolate. Izzy blushed, "Thank you." He took them from her and they sat down. He pulled out the cinnamon roll.   
  
"There's only one thing in here," he said.   
  
"I know," Mimi replied sipping her hot chocolate. He extended his hand, "They messed up. Here."   
  
Mimi pushed his hand away, "No they didn't, it's for you. The lady tried to give a small one but I insisted on the biggest one they had at the time." Izzy blushed again, "Thanks."   
  
"Thank you for letting me come over this early," Mimi thanked him.   
  
"Sure," he said tearing off a piece of the cinnamon roll. He held out the piece to her. Mimi shook her head. He ate it.   
  
"Where's Palmon?" he asked.   
  
"She was still sleeping when I left, so I left her there," Mimi said referring to the hotel she was staying in. He nodded. He ate another piece of the cinnamon roll.   
  
"This is good. Are you sure you don't want some," Izzy asked looking at her.   
  
"Yes, but thank you though," Mimi said. Izzy leaned towards her holding a piece of the cinnamon roll in between his nimble fingers. "Take it," he said. Mimi shook her head. "I insist."   
  
"No thank you, Izzy," Mimi said.   
  
"I won't take no for an answer," Izzy replied as he pushed the cinnamon roll into her mouth. She could taste the cinnamon from his fingers as well as the cinnamon on the pastry. He pulled back staring at her expectantly.   
  
"It's sweet. Just like him," Mimi thought.   
  
"It's good," she said laughing quietly. She drank some more hot chocolate as she watched Izzy eat the rest of the cinnamon roll. There was a soft groan and Tentomon sat up. He almost shouted in surprise but Izzy silenced him quickly. Izzy gave the part of the cinnamon roll he had saved for Tentomon to his digimon. He then crumpled up the bag and drank some of the hot chocolate.   
  
"Thank you, Mimi," Izzy said. "The cinnamon roll was good." Izzy sat down in front of his computer and scooted over in his seat when he saw Mimi standing next to him. She sat sipping hot chocolate watching Izzy as he worked. Suddenly, Mimi and Izzy heard a noise next door.   
  
Izzy and Mimi got to their feet and Mimi grabbed her hot chocolate as she followed Izzy out the door bacj into the hallway. She quickly left the house. Izzy closed the door and turned around just as his mother came out of her bedroom.   
  
"Good morning Izzy," she said. "What are you doing?"   
  
"Uh... um...er...going out...to get...the newspaper!" Izzy lied. He opened the door and said, "Mimi. Hi how are you?" His mom was watching.   
  
"Hi, Izzy. I'm fine. You?"   
  
"Likewise," he said. "Would you like to come in?"   
  
"I would thank you," she replied.   
  
"Mimi, you came all the way over here without shoes on?" Mrs. Izumi asked. Mimi and Izzy froze. Mimi spied her shoes beside Izzy's. "Darn it."   
  
"Uh...um...er...uh...ye...yeah," Mimi faltered. She smiled.   
  
"Why?" Mrs. Izumi asked curiously.   
  
"I...uh...wanted...to...um...see...what it would be like...walking in just...my socks," Mimi said slowly.   
  
"Interesting," Mrs. Izumi said as she disappeared in the kitchen. Mimi and Izzy went back into his room and let out their breaths.   
  
"Mom was a bit more curious then she normally is this morning," Izzy sighed. They sat back down sharing Izzy's desk chair. Mimi looked at what he was doing. He was researching.   
  
"What are you looking at Izzy?" Mimi asked.   
  
"I'm trying to see if I can find where T.K. and Kari are," Izzy said. He pulled up a map of something. Thirty minutes later Izzy said, "I've got it! Come on Mimi!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of his room. They put on their shoes and Izzy yelled quickly to his mom, "Mimi and I are going out!"   
  
"Wait! What about breakfast?" Mrs. Izumi yelled racing out into the hall.   
  
"Not hungry. Thank you anyway," Izzy yelled as he closed the door. Mimi followed Izzy down the stairs and down the street.   
  
"Where are we going?" Mimi asked.   
  
"To Matt's house and then Tai's," Izzy told her. They ran to Matt's building and knocked on the door. Matt's father opened it.   
  
"Is Matt home?" Izzy asked.   
  
"He's asleep," his father told them.   
  
"May I use the bathroom?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Sure," his father said. He stepped aside and let the two in the apartment closing the door behind them. Mimi walked down the hall and went into a room.   
  
"That's not the-" Matt's father began.   
  
"MATT ISHIDA WAKE UPPPPPPPPPPP!" Mimi screamed.   
  
"-bathroom," Matt's father trailed off.   
  
"Ahhhhh!" Matt yelled. There was a sound as Matt fell out of his bed.   
  
"_Mimi?_" they heard Matt ask.   
  
"Yes," Mimi said, "Get up and get dressed!" Mimi said.   
  
"How'd you get in here?" Matt asked.   
  
"Your father let me and Izzy in. Now get moving grandpa," Mimi said, She walked out of the room. Mimi walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. Matt walked out of his room yawning.   
  
"Man," he said. "Mimi's got quite a scream." Izzy nodded. Mimi came out of the bathroom.   
  
"I thought you said you had to use the bathroom," Matt's father asked.   
  
"I did," Mimi said, "I just stopped by Matt's room on the way there." Matt walked into the bathroom. In a minute they heard water running. Matt's father stood up placing his bowl in the sink.   
  
"I have to go to work now. You're welcome to watch TV."   
  
"Thank you Mr. Ishida," Izzy and Mimi said. They watched as he left. Izzy and Mimi waited. The water stopped and a minute later, Matt came out of the bathroom fully clothed.   
  
"I'm ready, _your **highness**_," Matt said glaring at Mimi.   
  
"Thank you, _my **slave**_," Mimi said smiling. Together the three left the apartment. They made their way towards Tai's house. As they passed the small restaurant Mimi had gotten Izzy's breakfast in earlier.   
  
"Guys, I'll meet you there," Mimi said as she waved and entered the shop.   
  
"She's not getting breakfast without me," Matt said as he went to follow. Izzy pulled him back. "Wait." They waited for five minutes and Mimi came out with bag. Suddenly a group of men came out of no where. One grabbed Mimi's arm. Mimi dropped the bag and a look of fear came over her face.   
  
Matt and Izzy stood up and made to go towards them when suddenly one of them punched Mimi to the ground. Matt breathed in sharply and Izzy and him ran towards them. One of them kicked Mimi in the stomach and another in the face. Mimi tried to run but the man pulled her back.   
  
"I don't have any," they heard Mimi say as they approached. "I just spent the last of it."   
  
"Yeah, like a spoiled brat like you doesn't have any money," one of them said as they punched her in the stomach. Mimi coughed up some blood.   
  
"Stop it!" Matt yelled as he punched one of them in the face. Izzy ran over to Mimi.   
  
"Are you okay?" Izzy asked as he knelt beside her. Mimi was crying. She was bleeding from her mouth and nose.   
  
"Come on," Izzy said as he lifted her up in his arms. "Matt!" Matt grabbed the bag and him and Izzy ran towards Tai's house.   
  
"Is Mimi okay?" Matt asked.   
  
"I think so," she looks a little shaken.   
  
"Matt! Izzy!" they turned and saw Sora and Joe running towards them.   
  
"What happened to Mimi?" Joe asked. Their eyes were filled with concern.   
  
"Some guys wanted her money, she said she didn't have any and she got beat up," Izzy told them.   
  
"Oh that's awful!" Sora cried out. They ran up the stairs to Tai's building. The men were following. Joe rang the bell while Izzy stood beside him. Matt and Sora were fighting off the men. A minute passed. Joe rang the bell again. Again. Again.   
  
"Where is he?" Sora asked as she jumped and kicked one in the face. Joe rang the bell again. Again. Again. Finally, five minutes later the door opened. Joe, Izzy, Matt, and Sora all ran in the apartment. Tai closed the door.   
  
"Why are you guys all here?" Tai asked sleepily.   
  
"Mimi got hurt," Joe said. Tai looked at Mimi and woke up instantly.   
  
"What happened?" Tai asked.   
  
"Some guys wanted Mimi's money, she didn't have any, so they beat her up," Izzy told Tai. Tai quickly went into the kitchen and got some paper towels and an ice pack. He handed them to Izzy while he went back into the kitchen.   
  
Izzy wiped her face clean, and gave her the ice pack she held it to her mouth.   
  
"Izzy your shirt," Mimi said. Izzy looked down and saw a blood stain.   
  
"You can wear one of mine," Tai offered from the kitchen.   
  
"Thanks," Izzy said as he put Mimi in his chair and took off his shirt while he went into Tai's room. He came back out a minute later in another shirt. Tai took Izzy's and put it in the washer.   
  
"What's in the bag, Matt?" Sora asked. Matt had forgotten about the bag. He opened it and yelled, "Food!"   
  
"Like?" Sora prompted.   
  
"Bagels and cream cheese," Matt yelled as he pulled them out. They all took one except for Mimi. They spread on cream cheese and raised them to their mouths when suddenly Izzy said, "Wait a minute. Was this what you spent the last of your money on?" Mimi nodded. Sora's bagel lowered.   
  
"Thank you, Mimi," she said. Mimi smiled. "You're welcome."   
  
"Thanks," the others said as they dug into their bagels.   
  
"So, Izzy. Why did Mimi wake me up this morning?" Matt asked.   
  
"I know where T.K. and Kari are," Izzy said. They stopped eating.   
  
"Where?!" Tai yelled.   
  
"Don't be so loud, you might wake your parents up," Izzy said.   
  
"They're not here," Tai said. "Spent the night at a friend's house. Where are they?"   
  
"They're in another world. It's called the New World," Izzy explained. "In the New World, things are...strange. In the New World, there are copies of us there, but they think digimon is a TV show. So we exist as, we are now, inside a TV. In any case, they're something special about the New World, but I can't figure it out. In this world, there are robots called Sentinels that work almost like assassins but they double as police officers.   
  
"They will get rid of anything. I looked into the news system and learned that recently, T.K., Kari, Willis, and Ken had been enrolled in the Riverton's Boarding School, and attacked by eight Sentinels. The headmistress of the school is Hilga Riverton. I couldn't find much about her. She has a mysterious power of some sorts. I can't really tell you much about her.   
  
"But, I did find out that the Sentinels that attacked T.K., Kari, and the others the last night were working under another T.K. He looks exactly like the real one. This T.K. person was working with someone. I don't know whom though. A girl. In any case, after the battle last night, this news report said that Kari collapsed. The cause was unknown. But apparently, T.K., Kari, Willis, and Ken, all went missing after second period English.   
  
"The headmistress was really worried. I think she wants T.K., Kari, Willis, and Ken for a reason, but I can't figure out what it is. I don't know how to get into this world either. But then you might not want to. I found out that going into and leaving New World can make you temporarily forget things.   
  
"The stakes managed to somehow though, so I looked into them. I also looked into the virus, and the ropes. I looked at their properties and found nothing in common except for one thing. They were all digital data and in their programming, they all had one section in common.   
  
"I thought back and now that I think about it, I think I saw a small star on the stake and on the ropes. I could be mistaken, but the star was partially covered by Mega Seadramon. But, since we've never seen the virus we can't be sure. But, somehow the stakes managed to get into this New World but I can't figure out how."   
  
"Interesting Izzy," Tai said.   
  
"I'm glad you did research. Now at least we know where they are," Matt said.   
  
"Thank you for the bagels, Mimi," Joe said.   
  
"Yeah thanks," Sora agreed.   
  
"You're welcome," Mimi said.   
  
"Sorry guys," Izzy said. "Right now all we can do is sit and wait."   
  
*****************   
  
"No!" T.K. yelled at the falling figure. His body began to glow a baby blue color. "No!" A wind blew the other T.K. off him and he jumped over the railing. Willis and Ken followed.   
  
"Let them kill themselves," Rei said.   
  
"I don't think that's going to happen," T.K. replied. "Watch." The real T.K.'s hand met Kari's and he pulled her close. A wind blew through the canyon and carried T.K. and Kari, Ken, and Willis down towards to the ground.   
  
Kari wrapped her arms around T.K.'s neck. As the wind carried them to the ground, Kari drew T.K. in for a kiss. T.K. deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue into her mouth. Kari's tongue teased his and he groaned. They broke for air as they landed softly on the ground.   
  
"You two enjoying yourselves over there?" Willis asked. Kari and T.K. blushed.   
  
"Now that we're down here, we should start looking-," Ken said but was interrupted by Kari's cry, "T.K." Their heads turned to see T.K. unconscious in her arms. "-for a place to spend the night," Ken finished.   
  
"Especially since T.K. just collapsed," Willis added. Kari put one of T.K.'s arms around her shoulders and put her arm around his waist to support him.   
  
"Maybe you should let one of us carry him," Ken suggested.   
  
"No," Kari said. "Let's start looking."   
  
"We'll also need food," Willis said as they all began to walk.   
  
"That Hilga Riverton person," Kari said as Yolei's lilac colored "hair" (a.k.a. Costume wig) blew as they walked. "She seems kind of suspicious."   
  
"Well, let's think of the powers she has," Ken said,.   
  
"She can read minds, kind of," Willis said.   
  
Kari thought a minute and then said, "She can make people using things such as clothing or something like that."   
  
"And she's rude," Ken said to tie it all up.   
  
"That's a power," Kari and Willis laughed.   
  
"It sure is," Ken said. They all laughed again. They walked for hours. Many times Willis and Ken tried to convince Kari to let them carry T.K. but she refused. When they finally found a cave, they were all tired, hungry, and thirsty. It was getting dark.   
  
"You stay here. Willis and I will go look for food," Ken said. Kari nodded and went out to collect wood for a fire. She felt in her pockets, and in T.K.'s pockets. Suddenly she heard an ice-cold voice from the mouth of the cave.   
  
"I challenge you Kari Kamiya. But this time, let's raise the stakes." Kari was at the mouth of the cave in a minute. She saw the T.K. boy standing there. The unconscious T.K. appeared over the rushing water.   
  
"Everytime you get hit, we'll hurt him. If you lose, he's gone," the T.K. said. Kari opened her mouth to protest but the T.K. interrupted her saying, "You're in no position to refuse. You either accept the match under my terms of you can say good-bye to your love."   
  
"Do you realize," Kari said as out of her hand came a sword of light, "that every time you wish to fight me, you have to threaten me to get what you want. Doesn't that tell you something?" A sword of darkness came out of his hand.   
  
"Yes, it does. If you know they won't agree, force them to," he said. "The first one on the ground or in the water loses."   
  
"Do you think you can handle this?" Kari asked as she stared at her friend suspended above the water.   
  
"I know I can," said the devilish T.K. in front of her. Ken and Willis walked around the corner and almost dropped what they held in their hands. They ran to the cave and opened their mouths to say something but closed them when they saw T.K. floating in the air. They put down the food they held and sat down at the mouth of the cave. Rei appeared a few feet behind the evil T.K.   
  
"T.K.," she thought, "guide me." The evil T.K. watched as out of the unconscious T.K.'s body came a light. It went inside Kari's heart.   
  
"You ready for this?" he asked.   
  
"Bring it," Kari said.   
  
TBC.   
  
Digimon Announcer: Who will win the fight? What will happen to T.K. and Kari if she loses? Who is this Hilga Riverton and why is she interested in the four escapees? Find out in the next Try, Try, Try, Again.   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sailor Neo, I hoped you liked the kiss. If any of you are still confused about what exactly happened in the past chapters, please email me at hintcorp@aol.com. I'd be glad to answer any questions or explain something to you. I don't know if this chapter was totally awesome like I promised but I think the last chapter was a bit confusing so I decided to explain it instead. Please review. The more reviews I get, the faster the next chapter will be out besides, if I don't get enough I might have to discontinue the whole story. So, review! Review! Review!   
  
ebacusta *^.~* 1 1 


	9. We need a place to stay The Powers of We...

  
Ebacusta: Hi guys. I've been very busy lately. I had to rewrite this chapter like ten times because my computer kept erasing parts of it. On top of that, I had an English test, a Math test, a Social Studies test, a French test, and a Science test, plus a Poetry Slam for English. This chapter took a whole lot of work, so I hope you like it and please review. And I only got four reviews on my last chapter, which I worked on, very hard to get it out for my readers. What's up with that? So, I'd like to thank:   
  
**miaow227**: for your review and   
  
**Sailor Neo**: for your review and   
  
**mimi angel**: for your review and   
  
**mimi**:for your review.   
  
Kari: I actually liked the last chapter a lot. I got to kiss T.K. *^.^* Tee-hee.   
  
Davis: Stupid Ebacusta. She lets them kiss like they're married. I hate this stupid fanfic. This whole world is stupid.   
  
Ebacusta: The whole world includes you Davis.   
  
Davis: *pauses* Stupid Ebacusta. Make me look stupid. She's the only stupid thing in this world.   
  
T.K.: Anyway, while Davis is rambling on to kingdom come and back, who wants to do the disclaimer? *all the digidestined raise their hands* How 'bout Matt?   
  
Matt: Right. Ebacusta doesn't own anything in this fanfiction except for some made up characters like the Dark T.K., Hilga Riverton, Kei, Rei, Haruki, and some others. The idea of powers does not belong to her, but in fact belongs to Digifriends. She also, for once, owns the teachers, in the story of course.   
  
T.K.: That said and done, let's get right into the story.   
  
Ebacusta: By the way, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to get this chapter up. Like I said I had rewrite this chapter like 10 times because my computer kept erasing parts of it. I'll try to get out another one before the end of Winter Break. So sorry. I've also started adding chapter titles to the actual chapter. I'm going through and fixing the other chapters.   
  
Davis and Tai: Cookies!   
  
T.K.: *sweatdrops* Fic time.   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 9:

  
  


**We need a place to stay- The Powers of Weather and Time**

  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
"Do you realize," Kari said as out of her hand came a sword of light, "that every time you wish to fight me, you have to threaten me to get what you want. Doesn't that tell you something?" A sword of darkness came out of his hand.   
  
"Yes, it does. If you know they won't agree, force them to," he said. "The first one on the ground or in the water loses."   
  
"Do you think you can handle this?" Kari asked as she stared at her friend suspended above the water.   
  
"I know I can," said the devilish T.K. in front of her. Ken and Willis walked around the corner and almost dropped what they held in their hands. They ran to the cave and opened their mouths to say something but closed them when they saw T.K. floating in the air. They put down the food they held and sat down at the mouth of the cave. Rei appeared a few feet behind the evil T.K.   
  
"T.K.," she thought, "guide me." The evil T.K. watched as out of the unconscious T.K.'s body came a light. It went inside Kari's heart.   
  
"You ready for this?" he asked.   
  
"Bring it," Kari said.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Kari stood waiting for the match to begin. Her breathing was surprisingly calm and relaxed for something with this high of a risk. She just had to knock the T.K. into the water and this would be over. But wait, he didn't have anyone at stake.   
  
"Wait a minute!" Kari called out. "You have nobody at stake. This match isn't fair!"   
  
"Since when has the world been fair?" the dark T.K. asked.   
  
"Since I said so!" Kari yelled. The dark T.K.'s expression darkened.   
  
"I don't like your attitude," he growled. "Let's get this over with."   
  
"Let's!" Kari said as her grip on her sword tightened. Without warning the dark T.K. charged at her sword outstretched. She held out her sword. The two swords clashed and sparked as the two pushed hard towards the other. They threw the swords off and started again.   
  
Kari jumped and slashed down. The dark T.K. slashed up to block. The swords clashed and sparked again. They backed up and the T.K. thrust his sword at her. She knocked it down with her own and slashed at him.   
  
"So far I haven't been hit," Kari thought as her slash was blocked. She jumped over a sweep kick and performed a heel drop. Just when she thought she had him, his hand shot up and grabbed her ankle. He swung her around and threw her towards the water.   
  
"The battle can't end this quickly," Kari thought as she flew towards the water. A wind swept by and carried her seemingly to the ground safely. The dark T.K. looked amused.   
  
"I didn't think you'd give up that easily," he said. A dark beam flew out of his hands and blasted her into a rock.   
  
"No!" Kari thought as the dark T.K. smiled at her. Kari looked up and saw that T.K. was bleeding on his arm in the same spot she was. They were directly linked together. That's why she thought she could feel T.K.'s presence inside her.   
  
Out of Kari's hand came a white beam that hit the dark T.K. He stumbled back a few feet, before he swung his sword mightily in a horizontal swing. A large wave of wind flew towards her. Kari did the same thing vertically. The waves clashed and struggled against each other.   
  
It felt in Kari's mind like she was actually pushing against the dark T.K. She was using physical force. The waves dispersed and Kari swung her sword sending a wave of water at the T.K. The T.K. was hit by the unexpected attack. Angrily, he said, "I said the first one in the water! Not touched by the water!" He was drenched, with water dripping from his hair and clothes.   
  
"Ohhhhhhhh," Kari said innocently. "You mean like this?" Using all her strength she swung the sword making a huge blast of wind swirl through the canyon. It swirled tightly sucking up the water into it until a hurricane formed.   
  
She then with two more slashes cut a fairly big hole in the ground beneath the dark T.K.'s feet. The T.K. jumped in an effort to get out of the way. The hurricane released the water and smashed the dark T.K. down to the ground. He found himself surrounded by water in a hole.   
  
Kari smirked as she looked down at him, "I win." The dark T.K. glared at her but climbed out of the hole, and released T.K. Rei stood angrily and disappeared as did the dark T.K. Kari's sword of light disappeared and she ran over to her fallen friend.   
  
"T.K.," she said quietly. "Please be all right." She looked down at the Yolei costume she was wearing. It was torn due to the fall she had taken and her battle with the dark T.K.   
  
She looked at her other friends, "We'll eat here, but then we need to keep going. It's too dangerous to stay out here like this with one of us unconscious and with all of us in this condition."   
  
"Where can we go?" Ken asked.   
  
"Yeah. As far as that Hilga Riverton person is concerned, we're runaways from her school, which means we're basically like runaways from home. I'm sure she lied to the government saying she had permission from our parents to send us to her school," Willis said. Ken nodded.   
  
"Well, maybe we can go back to that place where we first were," Kari reasoned. "Maybe we can find an area where we can get rest and we'll figure out the rest in the morning. We can't stay here any longer."   
  
"Why can't we!?!?" Ken asked angrily. "You see our friend. We are in no position to climb up a canyon wall, walk to the subway, take two trains miles south, and then go to sleep. By the time we get there it will be morning." Ken stopped surprised by his sudden outburst of rage. "I'm sorry," he choked. "I don't know what possessed me to do that?"   
  
Kari's eyes softened as she calmly explained as if nothing had happened, "Think Ken. If, for example, that T.K. is working for Hilga, she could very well be on her way. We can't risk staying here longer than we have too. Obviously we need to eat now, but after that, we'll have to pack up and leave."   
  
"But, Ken did bring up a good point," Willis said timidly. "If we did go all the way back to where we started, it would be well into morning before we got there. We couldn't risk being seen during the day. That Hilga person might spot us. So where can we go?"   
  
"Maybe under a disguise we can go to hotel and pay for a room to stay the night," Kari suggested. "As for food, we can go out and buy some before morning, and then we can spend the rest of the day in the room figuring out how we can solve this problem."   
  
"But we need ID to buy a room," Ken said shakily.   
  
"Maybe," Kari thought aloud. "But, if we could get the owner on our side with some sort of bad situation, maybe they won't ask for ID."   
  
"How would we do that?" Willis asked.   
  
"Some really bad rain storm or something," Kari said.   
  
"A rain storm won't just come out of no where, Kari," Ken interjected.   
  
"Yes, maybe, but this world is different," Kari said, "No telling what could happen. In any case, we should eat so we can leave as soon as possible." Kari took T.K. over to the mouth of the cave.   
  
Willis spoke, "We found fruits. Until we can get to the city, it will have to sustain us."   
  
Ken nodded, "We brought back enough so we could have some for at least a day. If we eat a small amount, we could carry the rest with us."   
  
"I have my school bag," Kari said. She dumped out the books. "We really don't need anything in here." She picked up the books and threw them as far as she could. "Just in case they have some sort of tracer on them." They loaded Kari's bag with fruits after taking out some for themselves.   
  
After Kari ate, she borrowed Willis's pocketknife and cut a mango into small pieces for T.K. She slowly fed it to him moving his mouth to chew it for him. When she had finished, she washed the pocketknife in the river and dried it until it sparkled. Then, swinging T.K.'s arm around her shoulder, they all walked out of the cave.   
  
**********************   
  
Kari swung T.K. up where Willis grabbed his arms and pulled him onto solid ground. Kari pulled herself up and they all began walking again. They were on the outskirts of a town. Kari saw a shop and pointed it out to the others saying, "We could get a better disguise in there."   
  
The foursome walked into the shop. They quickly grabbed things off shelves and ran to buy them. The owner thought they were in such bad shape that she gave them clothes for free. As they emerged onto the street in their new clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, Ken said, "That was kind of embarrassing. I've never had someone give me clothes because they thought I was in bad shape."   
  
"Well," Willis said. "There's a twenty-four hour store. We can buy food there." Willis went inside leaving Ken and Kari outside. He emerged ten minutes later with three bags of food. They walked another half a mile before Ken spotted a hotel.   
  
"How can we go in and get a room without showing ID?" Ken asked.   
  
"My rainstorm idea," Kari suggested.   
  
"Rainstorms don't just appear out of then air, Kari," Willis said sarcastically.   
  
"Wait a minute," Kari said, "Look at Ken." Ken was glowing a dull gray color and suddenly, heavy rain began to fall. It pelted Kari, T.K., Willis, and Ken along with others with ice cold rain.   
  
Kari's face stung with pain as the rain pounded against her skin. The fact that it was freezing cold didn't help. She felt like she would turn to ice if she didn't get out of the rain soon. But she couldn't see. The heavy rain obscured her vision, so she could barely see a few feet in front of her.   
  
"Willis!" she called out. The rain drowned her voice out. "Willis!" she yelled. No reply. "Willis!" Kari yelled louder. Suddenly something grabbed her elbow. She screamed. She began to glow white.   
  
"Relax," came a familiar voice, "It's just me." The white aura disappeared as Kari heaved a sigh of relief. "Willis, can you see Ken?" Kari asked.   
  
"No," Willis said. "We'll have to feel our way over to him." Holding on to each other, with Kari holding T.K., Willis felt out in front of them. After a minute Willis said, "Found him. Ken?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Come on."   
  
"Okay." Holding on to one another, they felt their way over to the Hotel building and then followed the dim lights to the door. They entered the building and stood there dripping wet, their hair plastered to their faces and their clothes clinging to the bodies. After a minute, they approached the front desk to ask for a room. Willis rang the bell.   
  
"Yes?" a woman with red hair came out of a back room.   
  
"We need a-" Kari began but was interrupted when Ken fell heavily against her shoulder. She held on to him as she supported her two unconscious friends.   
  
"We need a room," Willis said. "Badly."   
  
"Yes," the woman said distractedly. "$89." Willis produced the money and the woman placed two room keys in his wet hand.   
  
"You must be chilled," the woman said just as Kari began shivering. "It was just so sudden. Rain just start falling down like there's no tomorrow."   
  
"Wh-wh-what's o-o-our r-room num-num-number?" Kari asked through chattering teeth.   
  
"Room 901," the woman replied staring at Ken. Kari and Willis, who now supported Ken, moved into the elevator.   
  
"Thank you!" Willis called as the doors shut. Kari's teeth chattered loudly as she said, "Wh-what kind of r-room did we g-g-get?"   
  
Willis moved into a position so that she would feel warmer. "I don't quite get your question," he said.   
  
"Th-th-thank you," Kari acknowledged. "What I meant is, what kind of beds will be in our room and how many? We didn't really request a certain room."   
  
"Oh. That could be a problem," Willis said. "I guess you would get a bed all to yourself and we'd figure out the rest when we got to the room." The elevator doors opened and a group of teenage boys came in. Willis and Kari shifted so they couldn't see their unconscious friends.   
  
Kari could feel the boys' eyes as they checked her out. Kari and Willis waited impatiently. Kari watched the elevator indicator closely. 3...4...5...6...7...8...9! The doors opened and the two ran out of the elevator and around the corner. They quickly went down the halls and found 901 at the end of a side hall.   
  
Willis inserted the key and the door clicked open. They walked in and shut the door behind them. Coming out of the entrance hall, they looked around the large rather spacious room. There were two king-sized beds and a couch. The walls were a creamy white and the carpet a dark green.   
  
There was a dresser and a good-sized TV as well as a miniature refrigerator.   
  
"Well," Willis said. "You can have one bed all to yourself, Either Ken or T.K. will have the other bed, the other will have to sleep on the couch and I'll sleep on the floor."   
  
Kari laughed and shook her head, "T.K. will have one bed, Ken will have the other. You can sleep on the couch and I'll sleep on the floor."   
  
"But I-" Willis began.   
  
"I insist," Kari said. "Now do you mind if I take a shower first? I'm freezing." Willis nodded dumbly and Kari lay her two friends down on the couch. She entered the bathroom and shut the door.   
  
Willis sat about making a warm pallet for Kari on the floor and in a few minutes he heard running water. He gathered the comforters off the top of then two beds, and the checked the closet and found some extra sheets. He added those to the pallet and then put some pillows down on the floor for her.   
  
He then began to put away food. He lay the bags on the dresser top when he was finished and then he stripped T.K. of his clothes and put on a shirt and some shorts. He did the same for Ken and hung their wet clothes up. It was then that Kari came of the bathroom. She was dressed in shorts and a nightshirt. She held in her hand a towel.   
  
"You go take a shower Willis. I'll finish up," she said to him. Willis nodded and gathered some clothes. He went into the bathroom and closed the door. Kari took the towel and dried T.K. and Ken's hair with it.   
  
She then took each one and supported them to the bed. She tucked them both in and then opened out the couch and made up a bed for Willis with some blankets. After that, she went to the mini refrigerator beside the dresser and took out some food.   
  
Willis came out of the bathroom and threw his clothes into the closet. He sat beside her and the two ate together in silence. If this is what life is going to be like here, it was going to be long and difficult.  
  
When they finished, they threw away the empty cartons and climbed into their "beds."   
  
"Night Willis," Kari said as she pulled the covers up to her chin.   
  
"Night." Willis turned off the lights and lay down on the sofa bed. The room was silent.   
  
Suddenly, Willis heard Kari's voice, "Willis?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Do you think we'll ever get home?"   
  
Willis was taken aback by this question. He had always assumed they would, but he had never actually considered it. "Uh...yeah," he lied. Now he wasn't so sure about it himself.   
  
"You promise?" Kari's voice asked. Her voice sounded innocent like a small lost child's.   
  
"Yeah. We'll find our way home," Willis said.   
  
"Okay. Night Willis," Kari said again.   
  
"Night," he responded.   
  
"Sweet dreams."   
  
"You too." They both fell soundly asleep. The time was 2:01 am.   
  
*****************   
  
T.K.'s eyes fluttered open. He stretched and looked at the clock. 2:30 am. He stopped.   
  
"Wait! We fell into a canyon! Where are we? Caves don't have digital clocks," he thought. He bounced up and down a little. "Or beds." His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness in the room. "Or TV, or couches, or desks, or chairs. Where we captured?"   
  
He heard a small groan. It sounded feminine. Kari! He swung his legs from beneath the covers. The cool air in the room rushed over his legs. He stood and made his way slowly towards the area where the noise had come from.   
  
In the middle of the floor was a heap of covers. They groaned and moved again. Kari's head poked out of the heap. T.K. approached her and knelt down beside her.   
  
He shook her. "Kari." He shook her again. "Kari, wake up." She groaned and her eyes flickered open.   
  
"T.K.?" she asked groggily. "T.K. is that you?"   
  
He nodded, "Yes it is, but Kari, where are we?"   
  
"We're in a hotel room in a city far north," she told him.   
  
"We weren't captured though?"   
  
"No. Ken, Willis, and I climbed out of the canyon and came here. Ken used his power over weather to make a heavy rainstorm, and now we're here," Kari filled him in. "How are you feeling?"   
  
"Good." T.K.'s stomach gave a loud growl. "Just a little hungry."   
  
Kari smiled and said, "There's food in the fridge."   
  
"Okay, thank you," T.K. replied. She fell back asleep and he got up and went to the fridge. He pulled out some food and ate, throwing away the empty cartons when he was done. When he was full, he went towards the bed, tired again.   
  
He stopped and picked up Kari, He carried her to the bed and lay her down. He climbed on the bed and fell willingly into the darkness that threatened to swallow him.   
  
*******************   
  
Kari woke slowly the next morning. The sunlight was slashed across her body and shined brightly in her face. She groaned and went to sit up when she felt something tighten around her middle.   
  
She looked down and saw T.K. sleeping beside her on his stomach; his hand was draped across her stomach.   
  
"No, don't go off by yourself, it's dangerous," T.K. mumbled. Kari smiled. He had grown protective of her because of their adventures in the Digital World. She lay back down and stared silently at the ceiling.   
  
She lay like that for an hour before T.K. moaned and rolled over onto his elbow. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "You're awake!" Kari nodded. He removed his arm. "Why didn't you just push it aside?" he asked.   
  
"You know those times when you know you should just leave things the way they are and not disturb them?" he nodded, "It was one of those times." He smiled at her. She smiled back as she got up and moved across the room over to the dresser. She pulled out her uniform gym shorts from the school and the shirt that she had worn when they arrived the other night.   
  
"I didn't even know I had these. Do you mind if I take a shower first?" Kari asked him. T.K. shook his head. "Okay, thanks." She disappeared into the bathroom and a minute later he heard water running. He got up and moved across the room. He pulled on the jeans and shirt over his head. He pulled a page off the hotel stationary and scribbled a note on it. He then left the room.   
  
*******************   
  
Willis sat up and stretched. A big yawn escaped his mouth. Kari walked out of the bathroom. She was dressed in shorts and a T- shirt. She stopped and looked around the room.   
  
"Good morning Willis," Kari said.   
  
"Morning."   
  
"Do you know where T.K. is?" Kari asked. Willis's eyes shifted over to the messy hotel bed. He shook his head. "I didn't even know T.K. was up," Willis admitted. "Besides, I'm sure he'll be right back. He probably just went to go get some ice or something."   
  
"Yeah, you're right, he probably did," Kari agreed. She walked over to the desk and saw a note sitting on it. She picked it up and read it.   
  
"Kari," she read quietly to herself, "I've gone out for a little, I'll be back a little later, don't leave without me, T.K." Her breath quickened. "Out?" she thought. "Out where? He might be in danger or in trouble or captured or... or...or..." Kari couldn't think. She ran out of the hotel room and to the elevator bare foot. She pressed the button.   
  
She waited a minute but was too worried and ran to the stairs instead. She ran down the first flight, then the second, and the third, but the forth one was crowded with a group of boys.   
  
"Oh, hey there cutie," one of them said when she appeared at the top of the stairs. She ran down towards them. As she tried to push through the group, they gathered tightly around her.   
  
"Move, let me through," Kari said as she tried to push through. Something grabbed her shirt collar and pulled her back.   
  
"Hold on a minute," the one who held her shirt collar said.   
  
"Let go of me!" Kari exclaimed as she pulled against him. He held her still and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you hang out with us?" His tongue touched side of her face.   
  
"I said," Kari yelled as she grabbed his hands and put them both on her right side. "Let go of me!!" She flipped him over her shoulder and threw him to the ground.   
  
"Ow!" the boy said. Kari ran down the stairs and pushed through the boys.   
  
"Hey wait!" some of them called out. She ran down the fifth flight, the sixth, seventh, and eighth. When she reached the bottom of the ninth flight, she pushed open the door and emerged into the lobby. She ran over to the check in counter.   
  
"Ma'am, have you seen a boy about my height with blonde hair and ocean blue eyes?" Kari asked. Her hands were clutching the counter and her knuckles were white.   
  
"Yes," the woman said.   
  
"Did he say where he was going? Which way did he go?"   
  
"What's your name?" the woman asked.   
  
"Why's it matter?" Kari asked.   
  
"What's your name?" the woman repeated.   
  
"Kari. Now please tell me if he spoke to you?" Kari asked practically yelling. She was hysterical.   
  
"He did talk to me and he told me to tell a girl named Kari not to worry, that he would be fine and be back in a few hours," the woman told Kari. Kari froze. "Did he say anything else?"   
  
"He also said, that you won't be able to call his cell because he turned it off. He then proceeded to say that he would be back and that you should not worry about him," the woman answered. Kari nodded shakily and slowly released the counter. She turned and walked back to the staircase.   
  
Slowly, step by step Kari made her way up the stairs. First flight, second flight, third flight, fourth flight, on the fifth flight, she was ambushed.   
  
"Hey you girl!" a voice said and grabbed her arm. She turned. It was one of the boys from earlier.   
  
Another grabbed her other arm. She tried to pull away. "Who do you think you are?" he asked.   
  
"Let go of me!" Kari growled.   
  
"Or you'll throw me over your shoulder like you did with Greg? I don't think so," he said. Two more of the boys grabbed her legs and they lifted her off the ground. She struggled.   
  
"Let go of me!" she screamed. She twisted violently as they carried her up the stairs. Past the ninth floor door and up another few flights. She twisted around and bit the arm of one of the boys. He let go of her arm. She hit the other on the head and punched the other two. They dropped her.   
  
She got up and scrambled down the stairs. The boys ran after her. She got to the door for the ninth floor and tug at it. It wouldn't open it was stuck! Kari ran down the stairs to the seventh floor and ran out into the hallway. She ran to the elevator and slid through the closing doors.   
  
The people in the elevator stared at her. She jabbed the ninth floor button. She stood and waited breathing hard. When the door opened, the boys were waiting for her. She kicked one in the crotch and rolled between two of the others legs. She jumped and kicked the last one in the face and ran down the hall. The people in the elevator stared at her.   
  
When she got to 901, she began banging on the door. "Open the door Willis!" she yelled. "Open the door!" The boys were running down the hall towards her. "Open the door Willis! Open the door please! Hurry up! Open the door now!" They were almost upon her. "Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!" her voice grew more urgent. One reached for her just as the door opened and Willis grabbed her arm and pulled her in. He shut the door behind her.   
  
"What was the hurry?" Willis asked. Why did you leave the room without the key anyway? And why were you being so loud? This is a hotel Kari," Willis reminded her.   
  
"I know, it's just that T.K. left to go do something for a few hours and I wanted to see if I could catch up with him. So I ran down the stairs but ran into those boys who we saw in the elevator last night, and they wouldn't let me get through so I threw one over my shoulder because he wouldn't let me go.   
  
"I went down to the lobby and talked to the lady but she told me that T.K. said not to worry and that he'd be back in a couple hours. So I went back upstairs except those boys ambushed me on the way back and took me to the 12th floor. Then I escaped their grasp and ran back to the ninth floor, but the door was stuck so I ran down to the seventh floor and went down the hall and slid into the elevator before the doors shut.   
  
"Then, they ambushed me on the ninth floor so I kicked on in the crotch, one in the face, and rolled through the others legs. Then I ran to the room and started banging on the door. They came down the hallway and started advancing towards me and then you opened the door," Kari admitted.   
  
"Oh, woah," Willis replied. "Well how about we eat something?" Kari nodded. "I'm starved." The two sat down and ate while they looked at the news. As they finished, they heard a groan and Ken sat up sleepily.   
  
"Ken! You're ok!" Willis exclaimed. Ken nodded. "Just hungry." He came down and joined them on the floor. Willis reached in the refrigerator and handed Ken some cartons.   
  
"Where's T.K.?" Ken asked.   
  
"He went out for a while," Kari said.   
  
"Now for a shocking interview with the owner of Riverton Boarding School, Ms. Hilga Riverton," a male reporter said. Kari, Ken, and Willis froze and stared at the TV screen. "We go live to the scene with our reporter Tisha Fusaki (Foo-SAW-key)." The screen switched to a dark haired woman.   
  
"I'm here at Riverton Boarding School where yesterday during third period four youngsters who attended the school disappeared. We're here with the owner Ms. Riverton. Ms. Riverton how are you feeling right now?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Just awful," Hilga cried. "Those poor kids, off all by themselves. Their parents will be heartbroken. I was entrusted with their well being and I've let the parents down."   
  
"Ms. Riverton, do you know how the children disappeared? Did they run away, or we're they kidnapped?" Tisha pressed.   
  
"I don't know. I assumed that they were kidnapped," Hilga confessed.   
  
"Isn't it also possible that they ran away? You're school is a school for those graced with the gift of a special power. Is it possible that they used there powers to escape and are now out terrorizing people?" Tisha inquired.   
  
"I suppose it's possible, but they were such sweet kids," Hilga whimpered.   
  
"What were the kids names and what did they look like?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Well, there were three boys and a girl. The girl had long wavy brown hair and red eyes, and her name is Hikari Kamiya, called Kari by her friends. Her best friend is called Takeru Takaishi his nickname is T.K. He has messy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. The next one is named Willis Summer and he has spiky blonde hair and crystal clear lagoon colored eyes. The last one is called Ken Ichijouji and he has indigo hair and eyes. I do hope the dears are okay," Hilga cried.   
  
"We're now going to go talk to the police chief, Mr. Rei Esaki (e-SAW-key). Mr. Esaki, How is the search for the children going?"   
  
"Well, we haven't been able to track down anyone who remembers seeing four kids in Riverton uniforms abducted or running down the street," the police chief said.   
  
"So all you've had so far is dead ends?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Yes, unfortunately. We've got men checking every hotel and business in the city. Earlier this morning, a woman said she saw some kids run down into the subway system, but she said she thought they were just late for school," Rei told her.   
  
"But, you're checking into the matter anyway?" Tisha asked.   
  
"You bet! Anything to bring those kids back safely," Rei said.   
  
"What about these rumors flying around that some kids wearing uniforms were spotted way up north late in the afternoon yesterday?" Tisha asked. Kari, Ken, and Willis's mouths fell open.   
  
"We're checking into those too," Rei answered.   
  
"Is there any other info you can give our listeners?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Well, not really info, but we would greatly appreciate it if you would keep a look out for them. We want to bring those poor kids home as soon as possible."   
  
"Thank you Mr. Esaki," Tisha said. "Now, we'll look into possible reasons why they might have run away if that's the case. I've got their roommates here. Let's start with Kari's. Did you two do anything that might have made Kari want to ran away?"   
  
"We never got a chance to talk with her," one with blonde hair said.   
  
"Yeah," a red head next to her agreed. "She was unconscious when they brought her in."   
  
"Unconscious? They? Could you please elaborate on these terms?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Sure. When they got here two nights ago, the whole school was at this convention where they were supposed to introduce themselves. The problem was that the ceremony was interrupted by a pack of Sentinels," the red head said.   
  
"Yeah. Kari's powers activated and she destroyed them all. But, she put a lot of strain on herself destroying them all by herself, so she collapsed. After that, we were all told to go back to our rooms and Kari and her friends all went with Ms. Riverton. Half an hour later, they knocked on our door to drop her off. The next morning, she left before we even got a chance to shower," the blonde explained.   
  
"I see, did you see her at all at breakfast or in between classes?" Tisha inquired.   
  
"Yeah, I did see her a breakfast," the blonde said.   
  
"She entered with her hot friends. They went through the breakfast line and got breakfast and then sat at a table a little ways off," the red head elaborated.   
  
"They were deeply immersed in some kind of serious conversation, but we couldn't hear it. It looked like they were trying to figure something out. Anyway, they threw away their breakfasts, which they didn't even touch, and left. I saw her in class sitting at a table with her friends, and they all looked extremely troubled about something. When I asked if she was okay, she nodded. We didn't think anything was wrong," the blonde admitted.   
  
"Okay, thank you." Tisha and the camera moved over until two boys were visible. "You were T.K.'s roommates were you not?" They nodded. "What can you tell us about him?"   
  
"Well, like Satsuki and Haruta said, we first saw them at the convention. T.K. came to our room about 45 minutes after the incident," a boy with blue hair told her.   
  
"Did you get to talk with him?" Tisha asked. "Did you do anything that might have made him want to leave?"   
  
"No, at least we didn't think so. When he came to our dorm, he went into his room and laid down his books. He came back out and introduced himself. We talked to him and he seemed like anyone else. He was funny, and her had a good sense of humor. We didn't think anything was wrong. He stayed up with us a little and watched TV," a dark headed boy said.   
  
The blue haired guy continued the story, "We then started to talk about how the new girl was cute and that we wanted to ask her out. We were just joking around when we said that we might want to ask her out and go spend the night some place. Then he abruptly said he was tired and was going to take a shower before going to bed. Then he left."   
  
The dark haired boy took control of the story again, "The next morning, we were sitting around the living room talking about her and things we wanted to do with her, and various attractive features she had when T.K. just suddenly got up and got his books. He left and we didn't see him again until breakfast when he came in with his friends. They all looked really serious about something. But, we never got a chance to talk to him again."   
  
"Interesting. Did you think something was wrong when they entered the cafeteria?"   
  
"No, to be honest, I was too busy staring at the new girl's legs," the blue haired boy said embarrassed.   
  
"Thank you for your time." She moved down to two more boys. "Willis was your roommate. What was he like?"   
  
"Well, we he first came into the room, we talked to him a little bit and then, we kind of poked fun at his accent. He told us he was from Colorado in the US of A. We asked him why he was here in Japan and then joked around that he was trying to get away from all the girls back in Colorado whose hearts he had broken," a boy with red hair admitted.   
  
"Why were you poking fun at him about these things?" Tisha asked.   
  
"Well, we thought his accent was funny because it sounded strange and we made fun of him that he was trying to get away from the girls in Colorado because he looked like a ladies man. You know, someone who would pick you up, keep you 'til he had what he wanted, and then drop you like a rock," the boy with green hair said.   
  
"A ladies' man? Why did you think that?" Tisha inquired.   
  
"Well, he was with the really good looking girl and we thought that it might be his girl friend. Yet, on the way back to our room after the Sentinels appeared, we heard a lot of the girls drooling over how cute he was. When we talked to him later, his voice kind of sounded like one who could pull the curtains over your eyes quick if that's something he wanted to do," the red haired boy told her.   
  
"Is it possible that you made him want to run away?" Tisha asked.   
  
"It's possible, but we don't think we did. He looked upset almost, so we asked if he was okay. He said that he was used to it, and that we should just forget about it. He went into his room after that. We didn't see him again until the next morning where we greeted him by saying 'Hey Mr. Ladies' man. Did you tear up the clubs last night?'   
  
"He smiled, so we thought he was cool. He left after that and the next time we saw him was at breakfast. Like Satsuki said, they came in and took breakfast, but they never touched it and threw it away when they left. The last time we saw him was between First and Second period. He was with his friends and he looked okay, so we didn't think anything of it," the green haired boy confessed.   
  
"He didn't look unhappy?" Tisha asked. They both shook their heads. "Not at all." Tisha and the camera moved down one more. "Ken's roommates are the last ones we want to talk to. Tell me, when you met Ken, what was the experience like?"   
  
"Well, Ken was like one of those geniuses you only hear about on TV," a brunette said, "When he came in, all he did was introduce himself and then go into his room."   
  
"He didn't even talk to you?" Tisha asked.   
  
"No, just walked into his room just like Sasuke said," the blonde answered. "Sasuke and I stayed up that night and watched a movie on TV. We talked about Ken and that was it. The next morning, we were just throwing things around and we accidentally broke something of his. He picked it up. We apologized, he said it was fine, but he put the pieces in a plastic bag, grabbed his books and left. That was the last we saw of him."   
  
"What did you say about Ken when you were watching that movie? Is it possible that Ken overheard?" Tisha urged them on.   
  
"Sure it's possible," Sasuke said. "We were just talking about that maybe he was spoiled because he was so smart and he thought he was higher than us. It's also possible that Ken was more upset about the item we broke than he let on. But all he said was that it was fine, and then he grabbed his stuff and ran out the door."   
  
Tisha turned to the camera," So there you have it. Hilga Riverton, the police, and the roommates perspective on the matter. Nobody noticed anything wrong with the children yesterday morning when they came in for breakfast other then the fact that they looked very serious about something. The kids insisted nothing was wrong. So now you can decide for yourselves if you think they were abducted or ran away. If you see anyone resembling these children-" pictures of them appeared on the screen with their names right beneath the picture, "-please call the police department. This is Tisha Fusaki. Back to you Tom."   
  
"I can't believe this!" Kari exclaimed. "I know why you three might have wanted to leave, but they only questioned Hilga Riverton for like three minutes and she was too busy putting on a show to answer the questions fully."   
  
"I'm more concerned about the fact that the police somehow got a lead that we were far up north. I'm worried that they might searching hotels looking for us," Ken said.   
  
"Which means, T.K. might be in danger, especially after this broadcast. If anyone saw him, they might try to catch him," Willis reasoned.   
  
"I concerned about the lady downstairs at the check-in desk. I just told her my name like less than an hour ago and unless she has short term memory, she might be calling the police right now," Kari said.   
  
"Well," Ken said. "For the time being all we can do is hide our features. That means, we might want to wear contacts to cover our true eye color and hats so they can't see out hair that easily.   
  
"T.K.'s got a hat," Kari said. "I'll borrow it and go get some contacts and other hats. It's in that drawer, Willis can you hand it to me?"   
  
"Sure thing," Willis said. He stood and pulled open the drawer he rooted around and then pulled out a hat and a box. "This box is addressed to you Kari. Here." Willis tossed her the hat and the box. Willis closed the drawer and sat back down.   
  
Kari opened the box and found inside of it a silver anklet with "BFF" carved into it beautifully.   
  
"What is it?" Ken asked.   
  
"An anklet," Kari gasped. "From T.K." She passed it to Ken and Willis.   
  
"Wow, this must have been expensive," Willis breathed.   
  
"Yeah," Ken agreed. They handed it back to Kari who put it on her ankle. "I should probably get going," Kari said is she jumped to her feet and arranged her bangs so it fell in front of her eyes. She pulled on the hat, grabbed her wallet and room key, stopped to put on her shoes, and ran out the door.   
  
She walked to the stairwell, and then sprinted down the nine flights. She emerged into the lobby and charged out the door before the receptionist could see her. She ran down to the corner store and quickly picked up two ball caps. She then went over and picked up a box of contacts.   
  
She bought them and then ran out the door. Back into the hotel and up the stairs. She slid the key into the lock and when it clicked open she pushed the door open and entered the room. The door swung shut behind her.   
  
"Got them!" Kari said as she entered the main part of the room. She dropped the bag on the floor. There was a knock on the door. They all looked at each other. Willis and Ken scrambled around the room. They fold Ken lightly into the couch and Willis squeezed under the bed.   
  
Kari approached the door. "Who is it?"   
  
"It's me," came a muffled voice. She peeped through the peephole and saw T.K. She opened the door and pulled him in before shutting the door and locking it. Before he could saw anything, Kari jumped on him. He staggered into the wall.   
  
"Thank you," she kissed him. "Thank you." She kissed him again this time deeper. Her tongue slid stealthily into his mouth and touched his. His tongue wrestled with hers. When they finally broke apart, T.K. said, "That was fun and all, but why are you thanking me?"   
  
"For this," Kari said as she pulled her leg up. He looked at her ankle and turned red. "You-You weren't supposed to fi-find that!" T.K. stammered.   
  
"Oh.. Well I did," Kari smiled.   
  
T.K. groaned before he said, "I paid for a second night by the way." Willis and Ken came into the front hall and said, "We're glad you're all right. Did you see the news report?"   
  
*******************   
  
"Izzy, you called and said you found a way into the New World. How?" Tai asked. The digidestined were all standing in a group under a bunch of Sakura trees.   
  
"Yes, this area of Odaiba should take us there," Izzy said. "You brought your digivices?" They nodded. "Good. Now, Izzy took a stick and drew an X on the ground. He drew four symbols.   
  
"What are you doing Izzy?" Matt asked.   
  
"Drawing the four elements at each point of the X," Izzy told him.   
  
"What will that do?" Sora asked.   
  
"Remember when I told you that there was something strange about the New World that I couldn't place?" Izzy asked.   
  
"Yeah," Joe replied.   
  
"Well, in the New World, some people have special powers. That boarding school Kari and the others went to was a boarding school for children with powers. So, the way you get into the New World is to stand at or in between the points of the four main elements," Izzy explained. He drew a smaller x that intersected with the big X forming 8 points.   
  
"What's the smaller x for?" Mimi asked.   
  
"The four main elements are represented in the big X. Four smaller but still important elements stand at the points of the small x. The one who shines brightest stands at the middle," Izzy said. "Now, pick a point, and don't stand on the either of the Xs. You can stand in between the points too."   
  
All the digidestined arranged themselves. "Hold up your digivices," Izzy said. They did. "And then, say the element your closest too. You can't say the same element twice. For instance, if Tai said Fire, then Sora would have to say something else. Get it?" The digidestined nodded. "Great, we'll start with Tai first since he's at the top of the X. But whatever you do, when the elements start coming out, no matter how much they scare you, you cannot move. Whatever you do. Do not move." They nodded.   
  
"Fire!"   
  
"Sky!"   
  
"Mist!"   
  
"Water!"   
  
"Ice!"   
  
"Snow!"   
  
"Lightening!"   
  
"Flower!"   
  
"Earth!"   
  
The ground began shaking. Fire exploded in front of Tai, a cloud surrounded Sora, fog settle thickly on Davis, water splashed up around Joe, ice enveloped Matt, snow began falling on Cody, lightening began crashing to the ground around Izzy, flowers grew and wrapped coyly around Mimi, and earth shot up around Yolei. A light shined down in the middle. Wind began to blow, rain began to fall, and time slowed as each power was absorbed and one by one each digidestined disappeared and reappeared in the Sakura tree forest.   
  
*******************   
  
The dark room was silent. Four kids lay asleep peacefully. One in each bed, one on the floor, and one on the couch. One groaned and turned over. Suddenly, a huge snake crashed through the ground.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"   
  
*******************   
  
"Kari. Kari wake up."   
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" her eyes flew open. Ken, Willis, and T.K. all stared down at her worriedly.   
  
"Kari, are you okay?" T.K. asked.   
  
"We- we have to get out of here," Kari choked out. Kari stood up and began throwing things into a hotel bag.   
  
"Wait why?" Willis asked.   
  
"Don't ask questions, just do it, I'll explain later," Kari said. They ran around the room throwing the covers on the bed. Pulling their clothes into bags and putting the food back into their bags. Willis folded up the couch. And they all put on their shoes. Just as they began to go towards the door. A snake burst through the ground. Kari screamed.   
  
They all ran for the door. The snake shot after them. Willis glowed black and suddenly, the snake began to slow down. Willis ran to the door they opened it and ran out, slamming it shut behind them just as the snake crashed into the door. They all caught their breath when Willis collapsed. T.K. and Ken lifted him up and supported him and they all ran down the stairs.   
  
They dropped the keys on the check-in desk and ran out the door. They ran to the subway station and jumped on the subway. The doors closed behind them. They sat down on one of the seats and looked at Kari expectedly.   
  
"It happened. I had this dream and it was about a snake coming out of the ground and coming at us. Except we were still asleep. That's why I woke up screaming. But then it happened. I just know that the snake is probably related That Woman somehow," Kari admitted.   
  
"Well," Ken said. "We'll have to pay attention. We're taking a train south so we'll have to get off in a few stops." They nodded. Kari looked in her school bag. Inside, she found a bracelet. She pulled it out. "Oh!"   
  
"What?" T.K. asked.   
  
"This bracelet. It's the one you gave me for my birthday last year, T.K. I've been looking for it. It disappeared before I was kidnapped back in the real world. But I wasn't wearing it when we came to this world. I wonder how it got here," Kari said. She gave it to T.K. and held out her wrist. He put it on. It was smooth and had no writing on it, but Kari always remembered when she pulled it out of the box. It was so pretty.   
  
It did have some small diamonds in it. Very small, but it had still cost T.K. a fortune. He had been saving up for it for like two years. She treasured it. A few stops later they got off the subway and quickly found a hotel. They were all exhausted and day was breaking. They entered the hotel with their contacts and hats on.   
  
"Hello, we'd like a room," T.K. said.   
  
"Right," the man behind the counter said. He had been sleeping, Kari could tell.   
  
"$92," he said. Ken produced the money. He gave it to him and the sleepy clerk gave him two keys. "By the way," the clerk said before they left. "You're room number is 1227 and, they're will be a party later today at seven." Kari and T.K. nodded and they all went to the elevator. They waited until the silver doors opened. They stepped inside.   
  
"Should we go?" Kari asked as she pressed the button for the twelfth floor.   
  
"Go where?" Ken asked.   
  
"To the party," Kari said.   
  
"I don't know," T.K. hesitated.   
  
"Yeah, Hilga might have set it up," Ken agreed.   
  
"Maybe, but I think we deserve a break don't you?" Kari asked.   
  
"Well I guess," T.K. and Ken slowly agreed.   
  
"So should we go?" Kari repeated.   
  
"Sure why not?" T.K. responded. The elevator doors opened and they all stepped out. They found 1227 quickly and opened the door. It was a lot like there other room, except there were two small love seat sized pull out beds. They quickly sat them up and sat Willis in a bed before they fell asleep.   
  
******************   
  
T.K., Willis, Ken, and Kari all walked down the stairs. They were all wearing their hats and had once again put in their contacts.   
  
"I think going to this party is a good idea," Willis said.   
  
"Relaxation!" Kari exclaimed.   
  
"That's why we're going," T.K. clarified.   
  
"But, we'll still have to be on guard for anything suspicious," Ken noted. They nodded and emerged into the lobby. They went into the big room where they said the party would be.   
  
"Wow," they all four breathed.   
  
"Let's eat first," Ken suggested. The others agreed and they all approached the buffet table. Kari handed them all plates and went to turn around but bumped into someone.   
  
"Oh I'm sorry," Kari said. She looked up. It was boy. He was looking closely at her.   
  
"Kari?"   
  
"Tai?"   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Okay! I'm telling you now this will be the longest chapter while they're still in the New World. Please review. I'm going to have the next chapter up soon if I get enough reviews. Five maybe? I hope this makes up for the wait. It's longer and has a lot of explanation and action. I have to clean my room now, but I want reviews. By the way, thanks for reading.   
  
In the next chapter, you'll find out how Tai and the other digidestined got to this city. Hilga will come back and another attack from the dark T.K. More explanation of various mysteries. This and more will be in Chapter 10!   
  
ebacusta *~.^*   
  
P.S. Do you guys like having previews of what will be in the next chapter or do you like just finding out better? Please tell me in your review. Hey I bet you guys are staying up for the New Year and to watch the ball drop. I am. 


	10. How did you get here? The Powers of Fire...

  
Ebacusta: Oh my god you guys I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I meant to have this up weeks ago but school kept me super busy and any free time I did have was dominated by chores or the need for sleep. Please forgive me. I think I even had mimi angel worried. But here's the ext chapter.   
  
Willis: Now, we want to extend a huge thank you to every one who reviewed:   
  
**animedaisy   
  
Written by the Music   
  
Mim angel   
  
Syao   
  
Sailor Sayian   
  
shauna   
  
BlackBlaze   
  
miaow227   
  
Sailor Neo**. If we missed anyone, yell at ebacusta in a review and she'll put you in. *smile*   
  
Kari: Really not much we can say to you so, we might as well get right into the fic. Disclaimer! *digidestined raise their hands* Tai.   
  
Tai: Okay. Ebacusta does not own any part of digimon. The idea of powers belongs Digifriends. She does own some made up characters including Yamazaki, Rei, Kei, Rei Esaki, Hilga, Tisha Fusaki, and others.   
  
T.K.: That said and done, on with the fic.   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again   
By ebacusta   
Chapter 10:   
  
**How did you get here? -The Powers of Fire, Ice, and Sky**

  
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
T.K., Willis, Ken, and Kari all walked down the stairs. They were all wearing their hats and had once again put in their contacts.   
  
"I think going to this party is a good idea," Willis said.   
  
"Relaxation," Kari exclaimed.   
  
"That's why we're going," T.K. clarified.   
  
"But, we'll still have to be on guard for anything suspicious," Ken noted. They nodded and emerged into the lobby. They went into the big room where they said the party would be.   
  
"Wow," they all four breathed.   
  
"Let's eat first," Ken suggested. The others agreed and they all approached the buffet table. Kari handed them all plates and went to turn around but bumped into someone.   
  
"Oh I'm sorry," Kari said. She looked up. It was boy. He was looking closely at her.   
  
"Kari?"   
  
"Tai?"   
  
----------------------------------------------   
  
Kari and Tai were silent as they stared at each other not quite believing it. Kari reached out her hand and touched his arm to make sure she was not hallucinating. He was real.   
  
"Tai?" she said slowly. He was here! He was really here! "Tai!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around her brother. He hugged her back.   
  
"I was worried about you," Tai said.   
  
"I love you, Tai" Kari said. "Thank you so much."   
  
"For what?" Tai asked.   
  
"For being an awesome big brother," Kari replied. The two pulled apart when they realized they were holding up the buffet line.   
  
"Hey Tai," T.K. and Ken waved.   
  
"Hey," Tai replied. He looked at Willis. "You're Willis right?" Willis nodded. The five of them quickly went through the line. Kari and the others followed Tai towards a table. As he approached with the others, Matt looked up. His eyes widened.   
  
"T.K.!" The other digidestined followed his gaze and in a minute they were all involved in a group hug. When they broke apart Matt went back to his seat.   
  
"T.K. come sit over here," Matt said. He grabbed a chair from another table. But, since he hadn't been paying attention, he didn't realize he actually took the chair from underneath a teenage girl who was about to sit down.   
  
"Uh, Matt," T.K. said in emotionless voice. A scream escaped the girl's mouth as she crashed to the ground.   
  
"What?" Matt asked.   
  
"Who do you think you are? How dare you-?" the girl yelled as she stood up but trailed off when she saw his face. "Oh…"   
  
"Oh, was this your chair?" Matt asked. "I'm so sorry."   
  
"Oh no, that wasn't my chair. I just thought you were someone else," the girl blushed. She turned back around and began gushing with her friends over how cute he was. T.K. sat on half of the chair and let Kari sit on the other half.   
  
"How did you get here?" T.K. asked.   
  
"Well," Izzy said, "if you must know, we used an ancient gate technique to get into this world and then traveled from a Sakura tree forest and came up north using the subway looking for you guys."   
  
"How did you know we were up north?" Ken asked.   
  
"I managed to get a lock on your digivices, but, we had originally planned to go farther north tomorrow morning and only got off on this stop because everyone was tired and hungry," Izzy informed them.   
  
"Well, I guess we can leave now," Kari said. "We're all set."   
  
"What do you mean?" Izzy asked.   
  
"Well," Kari said, "you guys used an ancient gate technique to get here, so we can use the same technique to get back."   
  
"I'm afraid it's not that easy Kari," Izzy sighed.   
  
"What are you getting at Izzy?" Willis asked.   
  
"Well, that gate is only supposed to be accessed on the first day of spring, or the first day of fall," Izzy confessed. "Really, the gate could have malfunctioned since yesterday was neither the first day of spring or fall."   
  
"Wait a minute, you did it once, how come we can't try again and just hope for the best?" Kari asked.   
  
"Because Kari, hoping for the best isn't the smartest thing to do when you're traveling through worlds. What we did yesterday was a huge risk. We could have ended up in some random world with no way of getting back to our own," Izzy replied.   
  
"But the first day of fall is five months away!" she exclaimed. "What about school? No doubt by now I've missed so much of it, I'll definitely fail out of the grade."   
  
"Actually Kari, our school our school in the real world was destroyed and furthermore, since we opened the gate on an "illegal day" so to speak, we warped time so it's not in harmony with our world anymore," Izzy told them.   
  
"What do you mean Izzy?" Sora asked.   
  
"Well, time in this world compared to time in our world could go two ways. It could either slow down time in this world to where five months could equal five years in our world, or it could speed it up to where five months is only five minutes," Izzy explained.   
  
"Izzy! Why didn't you tell this to us before?" Tai asked.   
  
Mimi spoke before Izzy could answer Tai's question, "Well Izzy, is there a way we can tell which path the time thing is going to take?"   
  
Izzy shook his head. "There's no way we'll know how time passed on Earth until we get back home."   
  
"What about our digimon?" Matt asked.   
  
"What about them?" Izzy asked. "They're in the real world,"   
  
"So they really can't do anything?" Joe pondered aloud.   
  
"Nope. If all goes well, they won't have ever missed us," Izzy emphasized. They all nodded slowly. There was a live band that began to play. People began gathering on an open area.   
  
Kari stood. They looked at her. She smiled, "Well then, in that case there's nothing we can do until the first day of fall so we might as well live life to the fullest. I'm gonna go dance. Anyone want to join me?"   
  
"I will," T.K. said standing. Yolei stood as well, "Why not?"   
  
"Might as well," Ken said as he and Davis followed them to the floor.   
  
"We have nothing better to do," Cody said as he and Willis stood and followed them.   
  
********************   
  
"Hey guys," Kari said as they bunched up on the dance floor. "Let's make up our own dance." They nodded and began deliberating. When they were done, they all began to dance the dance they had made up. They spilt into one group of five and two groups of four and began.   
  
Kari was with T.K., Yolei, and Ken. They jumped and put their right hands into the middle of the circle they had formed. Their hands were covering each other's with Ken at the bottom, Yolei on top of his, Kari's on top of hers, and T.K.'s on top of them all. They all angled their bodies turned so their arms would be perfectly straight and began to walk in a circle.   
  
After four steps they stopped and turn their bodies in a 180 degree fashion until they were facing opposite how they had been facing a minute ago and jumped. They now put their left hand into the circle and took four steps in walked in a circle. They stopped four steps later, and jumped and put their right hand out into a new circle. Their old one disbanded as the group went into four different circles.   
  
Other people began to join in. Kari was now with Willis, and two other males. They did the same thing. Willis grinned at her.   
  
"You were the true mastermind behind this," he said.   
  
"You thought of the whole jump and turn thing, which made this dance really cool," she reminded him. They smiled as they jumped and swirled off into different circles. Now Kari was with two females and a male. She recognized one of them as the girl Matt had pulled the chair out from under her. Kari smiled.   
  
Thirty minutes of dancing and Kari was back in same group as T.K.   
  
"Where have you been?" she asked.   
  
"Everywhere," he replied. "You?"   
  
"Same." As they finished off this round, Kari and T.K. went and found the other digidestined who were dancing.   
  
"Hey guys, do this one with me. It's my own version of the Macarana," Kari said.   
  
"Show it to us," Yolei answered. They formed a square to copy Kari's movements. She stepped forward and then pulled her left so her feet were side by side. She put out her right arm and then her left arm. She swung her right hand and then her left up to the back of her head.   
  
Then she pulled down her right hand down to her left shoulder and her left hand down to her right shoulder. Then she dropped her right hand down to her left hip and her left hand down to her right. Then she clapped her right hand on her right butt cheek and her left hand on her left butt cheek and then moved her middle in two full circles. She jumped and turned to her right as she did so and started again.   
  
After she had gone in a full 360 degree motion, the other digidestined joined in. Slowly the dance floor cleared so everyone could get a clear view of what the teenagers were doing. They watched as the kids did the dance. One by one other people joined in until everyone on the dance floor was doing it.   
  
Step. Step. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Circle. 90 degree jump. Right foot, left foot, right hand out, left hand out. Right hand behind head, left hand behind head. Right hand to left shoulder, left hand to right shoulder. Right hand to left hip, left hand to right hip. Right hand to right butt cheek left hand to left butt cheek, swing middle in two full circles. Jump and turn 90 degrees. Start over.   
  
******************   
  
"Look at them," Sora said. "So much energy."   
  
"I know, they've been dancing for 6 hours," Izzy agreed. Matt and Tai nodded.   
  
"Speaking of time, what time is it?" Joe asked.   
  
"It's almost two," Mimi answered after checking her watch.   
  
"Should we go get them?" Tai asked.   
  
"I'm surprised none of them have come back to get any food," Matt added. "I mean we're talking about five teenage boys here." The others nodded.   
  
"Hey, here they come now," Sora interrupted.   
  
"Man, I'm beat," Kari replied.   
  
"Me too," T.K. agreed.   
  
"How long were we dancing?" Kari asked.   
  
"Six hours," Izzy said.   
  
"What? Really? Man six straight hours of dancing," Yolei said.   
  
"And it wasn't slow dancing either," Ken said.   
  
"Are you guys ready to leave?" Davis asked. Tai was on his feet in a minute. The others got up and cleared the table of the Styrofoam plates and chopsticks tossing them in the garbage can.   
  
"Where's your room?" Kari asked Tai as they left the room.   
  
"834, yours?"   
  
"1227."   
  
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" T.K. asked.   
  
"Well, I guess we'll look for a school and an apartment or some place we can stay," Izzy said.   
  
"An apartment? Can we even afford one of those?" Ken asked.   
  
"Don't worry. You've got Mimi here, who's equipped with seven credit cards," Mimi chirped.   
  
"Seven…" Kari began.   
  
"Credit…" T.K. added.   
  
"Cards…" Yolei finished. Mimi nodded enthusiastically.   
  
"I guess the rest of us will all have to get jobs if we want to support 13 people for 5 months," Sora reasoned.   
  
"I guess so," Joe said.   
  
"Tomorrow I'd assume we also have to go job searching, buy food, and anything else we'll need," Izzy said.   
  
"So we have a full schedule then," Willis replied.   
  
"Well," Kari said. "We'll come down to you guys' room tomorrow morning and we'll spilt up and go from there I guess." They nodded.   
  
"Good night!" Kari, T.K., Willis, and Ken called as they charged up the stairs.   
  
"Night!" everyone else called after them.   
  
****************   
  
"I'm glad everyone else is here," Kari said as they all sat on their beds. Once again Kari had insisted she sleep on the ground while Ken and Willis got the beds and T.K. slept on the couch.   
  
"Yep," they all agreed. They all lay down and pulled the covers over them.   
  
"Night you guys," Kari said.   
  
"Night Kari," they replied.   
  
"Night Ken and Willis."   
  
"Night T.K."   
  
"Night Willis."   
  
"Night Ken."   
  
****************   
  
Kari and the others stood outside room 834 and knocked. The door opened. Tai stepped aside to let them in. The four of them entered and saw Matt, Sora, Mimi, and Izzy sitting on the couch. Yolei, Davis, and Cody were sitting on the beds. Joe was sitting in the desk chair. Tai joined Cody on the second bed. T.K., Kari, Ken, and Willis all sat down on the floor, putting their stuff beside them. The TV was on.   
  
"Okay, so what should we do first? Find a job, find a place to stay, find a school, get food, other things we need to do?" T.K. asked.   
  
"First we should find a school, then we should find a job, then we should look for a place to stay, then we should go shopping for food," Izzy said eyeing the grocery bags that were sitting next to Willis. "Assuming that what Willis has is food."   
  
Willis looked beside him, "Oh yeah, this is food."   
  
"Wait, why that order?" Matt suddenly asked.   
  
"Because, if we get caught by the police, they might ask where we live and well have to make up some address and the people living at the address be warned or arrested, so we need to get a school first. Then we need jobs to support ourselves. Then we can look for a place to stay because if all else fails we can come back here and stay another night.   
  
"Hey, Kari, did you what something other than that?" Mimi asked looking at the uniform skirt.   
  
"Yeah, that would be nice," Kari said smiling. Mimi got up and went to her bag. Kari got up as well and followed Mimi. When Kari emerged a few minutes later, she was wearing a track shorts and a white tank top with "Princess" in sparkling, curvy, pink letters written across it.   
  
"Thanks Mimi," Kari said.   
  
"No problem," Mimi replied shrugging. Suddenly on the screen flashed four pictures.   
  
"Missing children Hikari Kamiya, Takeru Takaishi, Ken Ichijoji, and Willis Summer have still not been found. If you see them, please call 1-800-MISSING."   
  
"You guys are missing?" Tai asked.   
  
"From where?" Sora inquired. So, Kari, T.K., Ken, and Willis told the everyone else everything the had happened to them.   
  
"Oh man," Joe said.   
  
"So this Hilga Riverton, do you know anything about her?" Izzy asked. They shook their heads.   
  
"Well we should probably get going," Joe said. They all stood and grabbed their bags. They left the room and went downstairs turning back in their keys.   
  
"Thank you for staying," the woman said as they left.   
  
"Wait a minute," Kari said. "We don't know of any close high schools."   
  
"We should probably ask someone for the closet one," Matt said. Kari ran back into the hotel.   
  
****************   
  
"Ma'am, could you tell me where the nearest high school is?" When the woman looked at her strangely she added. "My younger cousin said she went to one around here but I forgot where it was. I'm from a different country."   
  
"How old are you?" the woman asked.   
  
Kari said the first thing that came to mind, "Me? Oh, um…21."   
  
"Well, the closet one would be the Sakura High," the woman said.   
  
"Where is that?" Kari asked.   
  
"About two miles to the east of this hotel," the woman replied.   
  
"Oh yeah, that's right! Thank you," Kari said bowing before she ran out the door.   
  
"Sakura High," Kari said.   
  
"Interesting name," Sora commented. "I wonder how it got that name."   
  
"How do we get there?" Tai asked.   
  
"The lady said it was two miles to the east of this hotel," Kari replied. They all began to walk towards the subway station, which was only a few blocks to the south. After studying the map, they all made a mad dash to catch the train that would be arriving in one minute.   
  
"If we get separated, we'll meet in front of Sakura High," Sora yelled as they ran.   
  
Quickly they bought their tickets and ran as fast as they could to get to the subway. The bell signifying that the doors would be closing soon rang loudly. They dived. Everyone but T.K. and Kari made it in the closet door. They charged through the crowd and dived in barely making it as the doors closed firmly shut.   
  
After apologizing to the people they had either crushed or run into on the subway, they packed in with everyone else.   
  
"What stop are we suppose to get off on?" Kari asked. T.K.'s eyes widened.   
  
"I don't know. I forgot with all the excitement of trying to make it onto the subway train," T.K. admitted. They stood and when the train stopped and the doors open, T.K. and Kari peeked out to see if the other digidestined were getting off. They didn't see anyone and went back inside. As the doors closed and the train started moving again, Kari and T.K. groaned when they saw Tai pointing at them.   
  
"Why do you pick on us?" Kari moaned to no one. At the next stop, T.K. and Kari ran out of the train. They ran up the stairs and out into the morning air.   
  
"How far away do you think we are from the high school?" Kari asked.   
  
"I don't know, let's ask." He stopped someone. "Excuse me sir, can you tell me how far away I am from Sakura High. I got separated from the people I was traveling with and I don't know my way around the city that much."   
  
"One and half miles west. Just follow this road that way," the man said pointing. T.K. bowed.   
  
"Thank you," T.K. said. He pointed and he and Kari began running with their bags slung across their shoulders on their elbows. They shouldered their way through the busy streets and keep running while keeping a firm hold on each other.   
  
"This could only happen to us," Kari panted as they ran. T.K. nodded in agreement.   
  
**************   
  
"Man, weren't they listening when we said which stop we were to get out on?" Tai asked impatiently. "I hope Kari's okay though."   
  
"They might have forgotten," Sora said.   
  
"Maybe," Matt agreed.   
  
"Hey, here they come now!" Mimi exclaimed. They followed her finger and saw two teens spiriting towards them. One was a girl, the other a boy wearing a white hat. When the two reached them they rested their hands on their knees.   
  
"Weren't you listening when we told you the stop we wanted?" Tai demanded.   
  
"Gomen. We forgot," Kari panted.   
  
"So we got off on the next stop and sprinted one and half miles to get here," T.K. gasped.   
  
"That would explain why you're only eight minutes late rather than fifteen if you had just normally run the whole thing," Izzy said.   
  
"Do you time everything?" Matt asked.   
  
Izzy grinned. "Sorry, it's just a habit I've picked up."   
  
"In any case we should probably go and check out the school," Joe said.   
  
"Wait a minute, they'll be suspicious if teenagers without their parents are requesting to come to the school," Yolei said.   
  
"She's right. We'll need some kind of a disguise," Cody agreed.   
  
"Here's an idea," Mimi spoke. "Sora and Tai will be the "parents" of Kari and Davis. Matt will be the father of T.K., and Willis. Izzy and I will be the parents of Cody and Yolei. Joe is the parent of Ken. All taken care of. We can enroll ourselves while pretending to be our own parents."   
  
The others nodded and the group entered the school. A girl ran into Kari.   
  
"Gomen nasai," the girl said bowing. She was about to run off when Matt exclaimed, "Wait!" The girl turned around and nearly fainted when she saw his face.   
  
"Yes?" she asked blushing seemly forgetting whatever made her in a rush anyway.   
  
"I was just wondering if you could tell me where the office is," Matt replied.   
  
"Oh," the girl said. "It's that way at the end of the hall."   
  
"Thanks," Matt said. The girl dashed off.   
  
"I think she was kind of disappointed that you didn't ask her out," T.K. said to Matt as they walked down the hall.   
  
"Why would she expect me to ask her out anyway?" Matt asked.   
  
"I don't know. Girls just expect weird things like that from boys," T.K. said. Kari hit the back of his head. "Ow what was that for?" T.K. asked grinning.   
  
"You take that back Takeru Takaishi!" Kari exclaimed.   
  
"Why should I?" T.K. challenged.   
  
"Because I said so," Kari growled. The older digidestined began laughing. The all stopped. Mimi knocked politely on the door.   
  
"Yes?" a voice, asked through it. "Come in." Mimi opened the door and the group entered. "Can I help you?" the administrator asked.   
  
Mimi nodded and smiled, "Yes, we would like to enroll our children in this fine school." The other digidestined smiled.   
  
"And who are you?" the administrator inquired. The digidestined froze and the smiles dropped off their faces. They looked at each other, panic filling their eyes. "Who are we?" Sora repeated.   
  
"Yes, who are you?" the administrator asked standing.   
  
"Well," Sora said slowly, "I'm Sally," she gestured towards Tai, "and this is my husband Tim." Tai nodded grabbing Davis and Kari and pulling them in front of him.   
  
"These are our kids," he said.   
  
"I'm Katherine," Kari said before she quickly added, "You can call me Kay for short."   
  
Davis spoke next, "I'm David." Tai looked at Matt.   
  
"I'm Mark," Matt added. "These are my sons."   
  
"I'm T.K.," T.K. said. "Tee for short."   
  
"My name is Will…" Willis trailed off. "Please to meet you."   
  
Mimi smiled and then said, "I am Georgia, and these are my children." She pointed to Yolei and Cody.   
  
"Hi," Yolei said. "My name is…uh, Rachel." She smiled convincingly.   
  
"My name is Calvin," Cody answered the woman's questioning stare.   
  
"I'm their father, Brian," Izzy said.   
  
"How do you do? I'm Jim and this is my child…" Joe trailed off.   
  
"Kevin. Nice to meet you," Ken finished. They all smiled at her.   
  
"Nice to meet all of you," the administrator said. "I'm Kathy."   
  
"Hello Ms. Kathy," they all chorused.   
  
"Now, if you don't mind. I just need to know, who are you enrolling." Kathy sat down at her desk and grabbed a pen and a cube of post-it notes.   
  
"Well," Sora piped, "We want to enroll these two and our other children who aren't with us today. Their names are Sarah and Tom." Kathy made note of this on the post-it.   
  
"I'm enrolling Will and T.K. as well as my other son Alex," Matt said.   
  
"Is T.K. short for anything?" Kathy asked looking up from the notes she was taking on the post-it. T.K. shook his head, "No ma'am."   
  
"We would like to enroll Rachel, Calvin, and our other two, Bryce and Gigi. By the way, you can call her Gee for short," Mimi interjected.   
  
"I'd like to enroll Kevin and his brother John," Joe said. The woman nodded.   
  
"I'll call the principal so he can talk to you," Kathy said. She picked up a phone and dialed a number. After a minute she said, "Hello? Yes, some parents are here to enroll their children. Okay? Okay. Yes. I'll have them do that." She out the phone down.   
  
"He requests for you to wait and he'll be here in a few minutes," Kathy said. She pulled the post-it off the top of the cube and handed it to Sora. "If you'd be a dear and give that to him when he comes in." Sora nodded dumbly and Kathy went back to some papers she had been working on.   
  
True to his word, a few minutes later a rather large man with black hair entered the room. "Hello. I'm Mr. Dane (Dawn-Nay). I'm the principal of Sakura High."   
  
Sora held out her hand offering him the pink post-it. He took it and scanned it quickly. "Okay, if you would just please follow me," he said. They followed him out of the room closing the door behind them.   
  
******************   
  
Sora and Tai sat with Kari and Davis in the principal's office. Tai shifted uncomfortably. Sora smiled knowing how many times Tai had sat in a chair similar to the one he was sitting in now.   
  
"Okay," the Principal said. "Kathy tells me that you are looking at sending your children to school here."   
  
Sora nodded, "Um, yes. We'd like to enroll our, um, four children." Tai nodded and tried to smile convincingly.   
  
"Four? I only see two," Mr. Dane said quizzically.   
  
"Yes. Our other children aren't here with us today," Sora said. Mr. Dane nodded slowly. Sora's mind filled with worry. The way he looked, he looked like he wasn't quite buying their story.   
  
He finally spoke slowly, "So what was your children's schooling prior to wanting to enroll them here at Sakura High?"   
  
"Homeschooling," Tai blurted. He smiled sheepishly.   
  
"Yes, homeschooling," Sora agreed. "I'm sorry but I forgot to bring their grades with me. But, I'll bring them by tomorrow."   
  
"But, their grades are good and they're well-behaved," Tai said.   
  
"Most of the time," Sora added truthfully. Tai eyed her strangely. She merely stared at him and then turned her attention back to the Principal.   
  
"Well speaking of your children. Where are the other two?" Mr. Dane asked. Sora and Tai froze.   
  
"Where are they?" Sora repeated dumbly.   
  
"They're in America of course!" Tai exclaimed brightly.   
  
"They are?" Sora asked before quickly correcting herself, "Yes they are."   
  
Tai continued, "Well, they _were_ in America. As foreign exchange students. They got back a few days ago and went to visit their grandparents and we're going to pick them up today or tomorrow or the next day. Depends on what they want, but they'll definitely be back home by Saturday."   
  
"And, and," Sora added, "they can tell their classmates what it was like being a foreign exchange student in America." Kari and Davis watched Tai and Sora's plight in amusement but kept their mouths shut. Suddenly outside the door someone erupted loudly in laughter. There were as commotion for a few seconds and the laughter died down.   
  
Mr. Dane nodded slowly. "Well if you don't mind," he spoke, "I'd like to interview your children one by one and then interview each of you to see what your other children are like." Sora and Tai nodded. Mr. Dane pointed at Kari, "I'll start with her." Davis, Tai, and Sora stood up and left closing the door behind them.   
  
******************   
  
"Can you hear anything?" Yolei asked.   
  
"Yes," Mimi said, "Pipe down." The other digidestined were crowded on both sides of the door listening to the conversation. Joe, Izzy, Matt, and Cody were still seated.   
  
"Four children they're enrolling," Mimi whispered. After a second she said, "Caught them with having only two present now."   
  
A few seconds later Yolei said, "Prior schooling was homeschooling. Tai said they're well behaved and Sora said 'most of the time'" Silence.   
  
"Tai said his children were in America and are now visiting their grandparents. Said they'll be picked up Saturday," Mimi informed the group.   
  
"Sora just said that the kids can tell their classmates about what it was like to be a foreign exchange student," Yolei said. Matt, T.K., and Willis burst out laughing.   
  
"Shh. Shh," Mimi silenced waving her hand frantically for them to be quiet. "I can't hear what's going on." Matt began to snigger as Mimi put her ear back on the door. Suddenly she said, "They're coming out, back to your seats!" The others rushed away from the door and started up random conversations to make it look like that's what they had been doing all along. Sora, Tai, and Davis waliked out of the office.   
  
*******************   
  
"So Miss Katherine, if you don't mind there are a few questions I'd like to ask you," Mr. Dane said. Kari nodded slowly.   
  
"Okay. What were your past experiences with school like?" he asked.   
  
"They were nice," Kari replied politely.   
  
"Do you try hard?" he asked.   
  
Kari nodded eagerly, "Oh yes, at everything. Especially situations involving my family and friends."   
  
"Very well. What would you like to be as your after school activity?"   
  
"Um, well, I'd like volleyball and track," Kari stammered.   
  
"Finally, what are your grades?"   
  
"They're all As and A-s," Kari said.   
  
"That is all. Please go get your brother David," the principal requested. She stood and bowed her head, "Yes sir."   
  
*******************   
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Dane has asked me to deliver these to you. All of your children have been accepted to this school. There are some forms you need to fill out and these surveys need to filled out by your children," Kathy announced. They nodded slowly and accepted the clipboards and pens handed to them.   
  
"First question," Kari said to T.K., "What class do you prefer as you first class? What are the choices?" she asked looking up.   
  
"Japanese, English, PE, Math, Geography, Science, Home Economics or History," T.K. muttered.   
  
"What do you think?"   
  
"English, then PE, Math, Geography, Science, Home Economics, and finally Japanese," T.K. suggested.   
  
"Yeah, but there's one more question," Kari said.   
  
"What is it?" T.K. asked.   
  
"In what conditions do you learn best?" Kari read aloud. Kari and T.K. eagerly scribbled down an answer and then offered to take them to Kathy. The younger kids handed over their clipboards. The older digidestined kept theirs and continued to fill out the papers on them.   
  
*********************   
  
Half an hour later they stepped outside. Yolei stretched and shielded her eyes. They began walking down the park.   
  
"Remember guys, next week on Monday is when we're do to start," Sora reminded them. They all nodded.   
  
"But where to now?" Yolei asked surveying the area.   
  
"It's simple," Izzy said. There was a silence as the others waited for Izzy to finish. After a few minutes Tai spoke, "Well?"   
  
They stopped in a park and dropped to the ground. Izzy sat up like the other older digidestined. "Like I said, it simple. We have to find jobs now. How else are we to support ourselves if we have no form of income?"   
  
"But what about finding a place to live?" Davis and Ken asked at the same time.   
  
Mimi answered, "Izzy said this earlier in the morning. We can always stay in another hotel if it comes to that but before we can buy or much less pay for an apartment or any other place of living we need some form of income to support 13 people."   
  
"Okay then, I guess we should spilt up into pairs," Tai said laying on the ground. "Kari and T.K., me and Matt, Sora and Mimi, Izzy and Joe, Davis, Willis, and Cody, finally Ken and Yolei. Is that okay with everyone?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Uh-huh."   
  
"Sure."   
  
"No prob."   
  
Tai stood up. "Then let's go."   
  
"Let's meet back at this exact spot okay? In three hours!" Sora yelled to everyone as they spilt to go in different directions.   
  
"Okay!" came the reply from the others. Sora nodded and willing followed after Mimi.   
  
********************   
  
Kari yawned, "This is so boring. All this time and not one help wanted sign has been found. How much time do we have left?"   
  
"Thirty minutes," T.K. replied looking at his watch. "I honestly can't believe how few vacancies there are today. Honestly, how many offices can you pass by and not find a sign? Seriously!" T.K. opened his eyes. A white sign that in red block letters declared: **HELP WANTED**. "There!" he exclaimed pointing.   
  
Kari opened her eyes as well. "Yes! There really is a sign. Let's hurry before someone else gets it!" The two sprinted down the street and into the towering office building to which the sign belonged.   
  
"May I help you?" a middle-aged woman inquired looking over her desk.   
  
"Yes," Kari gasped. "We're here to ask about the help wanted sign in the window."   
  
"Oh? How old are you?" the receptionist asked.   
  
"We're both 15," Kari answered lowering her head.   
  
"I see," the receptionist replied. She began typing rapidly on her computer. "I see," she repeated. "Very well then." She stood and pinned One-Day Pass buttons on their shirts. "You'll want to go up the stairs and stand in the foyer. Someone will greet you there."   
  
Kari bowed her head again, "Thank you. Thank you very much." She and T.K. crossed behind the counter and proceeded up the stairs.   
  
The receptionist picked up the phone and pressed: *5274.   
  
"Hello?" a feminine voice answered.   
  
"This is Stacey. Two fifteen year olds are on their way up to ask for a job. Would you be kind enough to send someone down to the second floor foyer to greet and interview them?"   
  
"Yes, thank you for informing me. I'll go right away," came the response before the woman hung up.   
  
******************   
  
"Are you the two looking for a job?" a woman with flaming red hair asked.   
  
"Um, yes," Kari said. "If you don't mind, may I ask who you are?"   
  
"Why of course! I am Phoebe the boss's secretary. It is a pleasure to meet you two," the woman exclaimed. "Do follow me." She lead them to an elevator. After pressing the button for the top floor she turned to them, "And who are you two bright young children?"   
  
"Oh! Please forgive my manners," Kari said politely, "My name is Kay and I am 15 years old and in my first year of high school."   
  
Phoebe nodded, "And you?" she turned to T.K.   
  
"I am Tee and I'm also 15 and in my first year of high school," T.K. said.   
  
"Excellent!" The elevator doors opened and the two teens followed her down the hall and into a conference room. "Please do have a seat," Phoebe said walking to a file cabinet. She pulled out two sets of papers and a pen before coming over and sitting across from the two. "If you don't mind, I'd like to interview you. I have 26 questions." The two nodded. Phoebe spoke again, "Thank you. Here is the first one. Are you a hard worker?"   
  
"Yes, I think I am," the two said in unison.   
  
"What are you hobbies?"   
  
"Well, I like hanging with my friends and family," Kari smiled.   
  
"And I like those as well as basketball," T.K. agreed grinning.   
  
"Such youthful smiles, sincerity, and energy," Phoebe muttered before asking the next question, "What do you think you can do for this place?"   
  
"Um well, we can run errands, move stuff, copy papers, and other stuff like that," the two replied together.   
  
"Amazing," Phoebe whispered. T.K. and Kari looked at her puzzled. "Anyway! When can you work?"   
  
"Um, every day from 6 to 10 pm," Kari said.   
  
"Including weekends," T.K. added.   
  
"Where do you go to school?"   
  
"Well, we're in the process of transferring from being homeschooled to Sakura High," T.K. revealed.   
  
"I see," Phoebe said writing down his answer. "What are your grades?"   
  
"As," they both replied shortly.   
  
"Why do you want to work here?"   
  
"We want to prepare ourselves for life in the real world," they agreed.   
  
"What are your real names?"   
  
"I am Katherine Yagami. But please call me Kay," Kari answered.   
  
"And I am T.K. Ishida. Call me Tee though," T.K. told her.   
  
"Would your parents approve of you working here?"   
  
"Yes, they wanted us to find a job," came the reply.   
  
"Now, Tee could I ask you to please leave the room for a few minutes?"   
  
"Uh, yes," T.K. said uncertainly casting a worried glance at Kari as he left.   
  
"So, Kay, how would you describe yourself?"   
  
"Well, I think that I'm nice quiet, submissive, pretty, kind of shy around new people, hardworker, determined, decisive, friendly, smart, and a fast learner," Kari replied blushing.   
  
"You like him don't you?"   
  
"What? I, uh…"   
  
"You can't hide it from me. You should tell him. I can tell her likes you back," Phoebe shrugged. Her eyes began to sparkle, "Ahh young love. It's so refreshingly sweet. Well, would you be kind enough to go out into the hall and send in the young man?"   
  
"Um, yes," Kari said getting up and leaving the room. A moment later T.K. entered.   
  
"Okay, now the question your friend Kay was asked was how do you view yourself?"   
  
"I think I'm nice, funny, athletic, brave, friendly, determined, decisive, caring, fast learner, and thoughtful," T.K. shrugged.   
  
"Excellent," Phoebe commented as she wrote this down. "KAY! You can come in!" Kari entered and returned to her seat.   
  
"Okay, the next question is, what do you think about your friends?"   
  
"Well," Kari began slowly. "I think Tee is cool, kind, caring, funny, friendly brave and cute. Plus, he _always_ hopes for the best. His older brother Alex is nice, friendly, cool, caring, and outgoing. My older brother Tom is courageous, strong, and a hard worker. His girlfriend Sarah is motherly, athletic, beautiful, kind, caring, smart, a hard worker, and loving."   
  
T.K. picked up, "Gigi is pretty, kind, sincere, and thoughtful. Bryce is smart curious, interesting, and knowledgeable. John is reliable, smart, kind, and logical. Rachel is nice, boy-crazy, and smart. Kevin is a genius, kind, thoughtful, and cool. Calvin is reliable, smart, quiet, serious, and logical. David is friendly, outgoing, head strong, stubborn, courageous, hopeful, kind, and caring."   
  
Kari interrupted, "Will is cute, nice, kind, smart, friendly, and cool."   
  
T.K. jumped back in, "And Kay is caring, pretty, nice, quiet, kind, smart, friendly, cool, determined, decisive, a fast learner and deep. Plus, her smile just lights up the world around her." Kari blushed.   
  
Phoebe smiled and shook her head slowly and knowingly from side to side. "Moving on, are these people a good or a bad influence on you?"   
  
"Good. They're a very good influence on us," Kari replied.   
  
"Do they want you to make your own money?"   
  
"Yes," T.K. answered nodding.   
  
"Who are your parents?"   
  
"Mine are Sally and Tim Yagami," Kari said slowly after a slight hesitation.   
  
"And my dad is Mark. I don't know my mom. My parents divorced when I was really young," T.K. shrugged.   
  
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said quietly.   
  
"Don't worry about it. I've had plenty of fun with him and my bro. If it was up to me, I wouldn't want to change a thing," T.K. grinned. Of course, if it was his real family, there were plenty of things he would have liked to change. First being the divorce of his real parents.   
  
"Well then what do they do?"   
  
"My dad is a magazine writer and my mom is a stay at home mother," Kari lied.   
  
"Same here. My dad works at the same magazine as her dad. They're really good friends," T.K. smiled.   
  
"And how old are you?"   
  
"We're both 15 years old," T.K. responded.   
  
"When is your birthday?"   
  
"I was born on April 9th," Kari answered.   
  
"And I was born on May 31st," T.K. smiled.   
  
"What is your eye color?"   
  
Kari spoke, "Red."   
  
"Blue," T.K. said immediately after her.   
  
"Hair color?"   
  
"Brown," Kari answered,   
  
"Blonde," T.K. sighed.   
  
"Height?"   
  
"I'm 5' 6"," Kari said.   
  
"And I'm 5'8"," T.K. yawned.   
  
"Weight?"   
  
"121 pounds," T.K. interrupted.   
  
"115 pounds," Kari shrugged.   
  
"How old is your father?"   
  
"37," they both replied in unison.   
  
"And your mother?   
  
"36," Kari announced.   
  
"And what will you do with the money you earn?"   
  
"Use it to buy things that we want," the two replied.   
  
"What's your phone number?"   
  
They both froze. Kari began to laugh nervously, "Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. You know what; we just realized that we forgot it."   
  
"Okay," Phoebe said quizzically. "How about your address?"   
  
"We forgot that too," Kari admitted.   
  
"But you see, we just moved her a few days ago. We're trying to remember them, honestly. But, if you hire us we'll let you know tomorrow."   
  
Phoebe nodded. "I'll be right back. Don't move from this room please." She stood and left. 10 minutes later she reentered. "You're hired! Just don't forget to bring your phone number and address with you tomorrow. Report here at 5:30pm tomorrow afternoon."   
  
They nodded, "Thank you very much." They left the building.   
  
"We are so late!" Kari exclaimed.   
  
"I know. But at least we have a job," T.K. grinned.   
  
"Yep!" Kari agreed. The two dashed off down the street towards the park.   
  
*****************   
  
"Please, please, please let us have the job. We'll work very hard. I promise," Tai begged.   
  
"And what could you write about?" a man asked dubiously.   
  
"We'll write about the school scene. And we'll do reviews on movies, books, and CDs!" Matt exclaimed.   
  
"Yeah! So please, please, please," Tai agreed.   
  
"Fine! Just get outta here. And report for work at 4 tomorrow," he advised.   
  
"Yes sir! Thanks!" they dashed out of the building towards the meeting spot.   
  
******************   
  
"You're hired."   
  
"You're hired." Sora and Mimi emerged from the super center where they had just found work.   
  
"Mimi I still think you would be better for fashion," Sora said.   
  
"Oh no Sora, you'll do just fine!" Mimi exclaimed.   
  
"Thanks Mimi," Sora smiled.   
  
"No problem!" Mimi smiled back. "After all, it's true!"   
  
******************   
  
"Oh, you two are smart. I think you'd really like working for this medical journal. Plus the pay is good. So what do you say?"   
  
"Fine I guess. What do you think Joe?" Izzy asked.   
  
"Okay," Joe sighed.   
  
"Excellent. You'll do the research," the man said pointing at Izzy, "And you'll do the writing," he finished pointing at Joe.   
  
*******************   
  
"I love working at noodle shops!" Davis exclaimed as he entered.   
  
"Then you're hired!"   
  
"Really?"   
  
*******************   
  
"Hmmm, a law firm. I guess," Cody thought as he entered. "Hello? I was wondering if you needed someone to run errands for your firm?"   
  
"Why actually, we do. And is you'd like the job, it's yours."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
*******************   
  
"Do have any experience with computers?"   
  
"You bet!" Willis exclaimed. "I know tons!"   
  
"You look like a smart boy. I'll assign you to computer troubleshooting."   
  
"Thank you so much," Willis acknowledged.   
  
*******************   
  
"Do you like books?"   
  
"Yeah!" Ken said enthusiastically.   
  
"Um yeah, I guess," Yolei groaned.   
  
"Then, if you like and know your books, then your hired!"   
  
"Yes!" Ken exclaimed. Finally a job.   
  
"Woohoo," Yolei said sarcastically. Great, a job at a bookstore. Of all the places in the world to work I get to work at a _bookstore_. But I guess if it makes Ken happy.   
  
*******************   
  
"Sorry we're late!" T.K. exclaimed as he and Kari jogged up to the rest. "We got a job running errands for big shot executives."   
  
"We're working at a magazine," Tai informed the others.   
  
"I'm working in the fashion department of a superstore," Sora admitted.   
  
"And I'm working in the food section," Mimi replied.   
  
"We got roped into working for a medical journal," Joe sighed.   
  
"I'm working at a restaurant the serves noodles," Davis exclaimed.   
  
"I'm running errands for those in the law firm next to the place where Davis works," Cody said seriously.   
  
"And I'm working at the computer store right next to the law firm," Willis yawned.   
  
"Yolei and I are working at a bookstore!" Ken said. Kari smiled at her lilac hair colored friend.   
  
"Hey, I'm starving," Matt commented.   
  
"Me too, let's eat," Tai replied.   
  
"Yeah!" the others agreed.   
  
********************   
  
_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_   
  
"What's that?" Sora asked.   
  
The ground shook beneath the group as the sound got louder. "I don't know," Yolei said.   
  
Suddenly, "Target Identified."   
  
"Sentinels!" Kari yelled. "Move!" She dived into Yolei, Tai and Sora knocking them to the ground. T.K. grabbed Matt, Davis, and Cody. And Ken getting Mimi, Izzy, and Joe. Willis stood in the middle and attempted to activate his powers. Nothing happened.   
  
"Willis!" Kari exclaimed.   
  
"It's not working! My powers, they're not working!" Willis replied.   
  
"Watch out!" Matt yelled. He glowed blue. Ice shot up to protect Willis from the oncoming tendrils.   
  
"Thanks Matt," Willis acknowledged.   
  
"Sure, just be more careful," Matt nodded. He formed an ice sword and cut up the tendrils and following them back to the lead sentinel. Three others were behind him. Matt used his newly found ice powers to blast off one's head. Stab through another one, and slice on completely down the middle. After they were destroyed, Matt fell to the ground unconscious.   
  
"Matt!" Tai exclaimed.   
  
"Don't worry," Ken assured him. "It's normal. He just tired himself out by using his powers." Tai nodded slowly.   
  
******************   
  
"Can we pay for this apartment with a credit card?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Just once," the apartment owner answered.   
  
"Please remember we only want a five month lease," Izzy reminded him.   
  
"Then I'd like to pay with a credit card," Mimi said.   
  
"Then please follow me," he replied. Mimi left with him.   
  
"Hello there." They turned around and saw a woman standing in the hall. "I was wondering if you needed a couch or TV. We've only had it for one month but my husband wanted a new one and I was wondering if you wanted them."   
  
"Oh yes. We would. Thank you very much," Sora said gratefully. They moved the couch and TV into the apartment.   
  
"Well, I guess we should go get some food and cheap furniture," Yolei yawned.   
  
*******************   
  
"Thank goods for Mimi's seven credit cards," Yolei replied looking around the room. Sora had begun to put away the newly bought pots, pans, and food. She sent Ken to the bath rooms to put in toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap. Tai and Davis were bringing in blankets and comforters. T.K., Kari, and Willis all hauled in three stools that needed to me assembled. Izzy and Joe brought in a table, while Mimi brought in all the cleaning supplies and rugs. Tai went out with Davis to retrieve the other stools.   
  
"Goodness," Kari stretched after she had leaned her stools on the wall. The living room was pretty. Around the door was and elevated area surrounded by a white banister. Stairs led down into the living room which connected to the kitchen. There were 3 stairs that went up and into a different hallway leading to the 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   
  
"This apartment is so nice and pretty," Mimi said. "I love the soft yet lively and bright color scheme they have." She wondered off into the back and was soon followed by Izzy, Willis, Davis, Joe, and Yolei until only Kari , T.K., and Tai remained in the living room. Matt was lying unconscious on the couch.   
  
Kari walked over towards the kitchen when suddenly the dark T.K. appeared in between them and her. Tai began to glow red and shot fire at him, but the dark T.K. simply moved out of the way. He blocked their sight of her. Kari gasped as the sword he had brought with him penetrated her skin and stabbed right through her stomach. She bent over part way her hands were shaking a few inches from the offending sword and her fingers were slightly bent.   
  
Her eyes glazed over and the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. Blood was staining her clothes as he skin and face paled. Kari gasped, "Uh…uh…uh…" She fell backwards pushing the sword up and a little ways back through her. Blood poured from her onto the wood floor forming a pool. Sora who saw the whole thing looked on in horror. The dark T.K. turned and ran out of the room. Sora chased after him leaving the front door wide open.   
  
"Stop!" Suddenly she began to glow sky blue and suddenly it began to rain on him. Lightening attempted to strike him. He teleported and she collapsed to the ground.   
  
******************   
  
Finally able to see, T.K. and Tai took in the scene in shock.   
  
"NO!" T.K. screamed.   
  
"NO!" Tai yelled at the same time.   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
I'm so evil! Another cliffhanger! *laughs evilly* The faster you review the faster I'll get up the next chapter. And this time I promise to. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. See ya later! Don't forget to review!   
  
ebacusta *~.^*   
  
P.S. Sorry if the last part of the chapter sounds a little rushed. 2 


	11. Please Be Alive! The Powers of Lightenin...

  
Ebacusta: I hope you wait too long for this chapter. If you'll notice, the rating has gone up to PG-13. I don't have much of an excuse for making you wait so long for this chapter, except that play practice and businesses have been keeping me quite busy and no _mimi angel_ I haven't given up on the story. I don't have much to say so………   
  
Sora: SO, we should thank the people who reviewed the last chapter. This THANK YOU is directed to:   
**   
Rockie-chan   
  
Mimi angel   
  
Kara   
  
Eowyn the Fair   
  
Cari   
  
SailorNeo   
  
PuppKid   
  
GatomonandKariFan   
  
Angelz**   
  
Thank you so much.   
  
T.K.: As there is much to say, we should move on to the disclaimer which…*unfurls a long banner* is right here.   
  
(Banner): ebacusta does not own Digimon, Toei does. If she owned it, Davis would have given up a long time ago, and T.K. and Kari would have gotten married and had two wonderful kids and lived happily ever after but… as we can see from the ending, that didn't exactly happen now did it?   
  
Ebacusta: That looks about right. Oh yeah, and to answer Kara's question, Tai didn't collapse because I had something more I needed him to do in the beginning of this chapter. Don't worry, I didn't forget.   
  
T.K.: So, fic time!   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again   
By ebacusta   
Chapter 11   
**Please be Alive-The Powers of Lightening, Wood, and Water**

  
  
---------------------------------------------------   
  
Kari walked over towards the kitchen when suddenly the dark T.K. appeared in between them and her. Tai began to glow red and shot fire at him, but the dark T.K. simply moved out of the way. He blocked their sight of her. Kari gasped as the sword he had brought with him penetrated her skin and stabbed right through her stomach. She bent over part way her hands were shaking a few inches from the offending sword and her fingers were slightly bent.   
  
Her eyes glazed over and the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. Blood was staining her clothes as her skin and face paled. Kari gasped, "Uh…uh…uh…" She fell backwards pushing the sword up and a little ways back through her. Blood poured from her onto the wood floor forming a pool. Sora who saw the whole thing looked on in horror. The dark T.K. turned and ran out of the room. Sora chased after him leaving the front door wide open.   
  
"Stop!" Suddenly she began to glow sky blue and suddenly it began to rain on him. Lightening attempted to strike him. He teleported and she collapsed to the ground.   
  
******************   
  
Finally able to see, T.K. and Tai took in the scene in shock.   
  
"NO!" T.K. screamed.   
  
"NO!" Tai yelled at the same time.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
"Kari! Kari please be alive! Please!" T.K. exclaimed as he and Tai ran over to her.   
  
"No! No! NO!" Tai yelled as he reached in his pocket and fumbled with his cell. This would take too long he decided and put it back away.   
  
"What happened?" Mimi yelled as she, Izzy, Ken, Yolei, Willis, Davis, and Joe ran into the living room. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed before running over.   
  
T.K. pulled the sword out and handed it to Tai who laid it carefully on the ground. He picked her up in his arms and ran with Tai, Izzy, Mimi, and Joe, who were behind him. He and the others sprinted down the hall and out onto the street. The sky was darkening with storm clouds. They were mobbed by girls.   
  
"Out of the way! Out of the way!" T.K. yelled in vain. Tai, clearly getting more desperate by the minute, activated his powers once more. The girls backed off with screams erupting from their mouths as flame shot out of the ground. After that Tai collapsed. Joe stooped to pick him up and the group continued running.   
  
T.K. panted as he ran on. Suddenly, a spike of ice flew at him. He ducked and searched wildly where it had come from. It was not that hard to find as a glowing person stood a few feet away. The next the group new, they were dancing out of the way of lightening, rain, snow, fire, and more.   
  
"T.K. you and Mimi go on!" Joe exclaimed.   
  
"We'll deal with these guys," Izzy finished indicating to glowing men they were surrounded by.   
  
"Ok," T.K. nodded in agreement. He ran on forward dodging the various attacks aimed at him. Using his powers, he threw the men in front of him out of the way and on they ran.   
  
Izzy glowed yellow and lightning flew from his hands. In the mean time, Joe, glowed a dark ocean blue, and water flooded the streets as Joe controlled it to knock away his enemies.   
  
****************   
  
"There it is!" Mimi exclaimed pointing ahead at the glowing sign of the hospital. It began to rain buckets. T.K. ran faster. His lungs felt like they were going to burst, but he continued on nonetheless. He and Mimi burst through the glass doors.   
  
"Where is a doctor?" T.K. yelled. "I need a doctor **_NOW!_**" His hair dripped. Doctors rushed towards him.   
  
"What's the problem?" one asked as a nurse ran off to get a stretcher. They retrieved it and ran back.   
  
"My friend is dying!" he replied. The stretcher was rolled up to him. He lay Kari on it, and tried to stand upright. He couldn't something was holding him down. He looked and saw Kari's hand was wrapped tightly around a part of his shirt. He enclosed her hand with his and slowly she released him.   
  
T.K. watched as Kari was wheeled away by the doctors and into the emergency room tears surfacing at his eyes.   
  
"T.K. watch out!" Mimi yelled as a spike of fire shot at him. He fell to the ground just in time to avoid it. They turned around to see some more men standing there.   
  
"AHHHHHHH!" they yelled as they ran towards them.   
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Mimi screamed as she glowed brown and vines burst from the ground and windows trapping the men in leafy prisons. She paled as she collapsed, partly from fright and partly from exhaustion from both her powers and all the running.   
  
T.K. picked her up slowly made his way outside back into the rain. Someone was standing there. The dark T.K. was leaning against a tree. T.K. lay Mimi down on the grass and stared at him with tears streaming down his face.   
  
In a low voice, he growled, "You coward. How dare you! HOW DARE YOU! How dare you resort to such dishonesty! You are the scum of the Earth, AND I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!!" It started to rain harder.   
  
T.K. swung his hand with such force that a gust of wind flew blowing off branches from the tree as it threw the dark T.K. into it. Suddenly, T.K. surged with power. With anger he glowed blue forming an ice sword, he lobbed it at the dark T.K. with amazing force.   
  
The dark T.K. dodged. T.K. blasted a light beam at him. The dark T.K. was hit as he was not expecting the attack. T.K. formed more ice and threw at the dark T.K. "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!" BOOM! CRASH! Thunder cackled loudly as lightening lit up the sky.   
  
The dark T.K. dodged but was to busy doing so, and fail to notice T.K. charging at him. He was brought down to the ground with a savage tackle from T.K. The dark T.K. looked at him as he felt the sword pressed closely to his throat.   
  
"Why did you do it to her?" T.K. growled. The dark T.K. made no answer. "ANSWER ME!" T.K. roared.   
  
"Why do you care?" the dark T.K. finally spoke.   
  
"Because I love her!" T.K. replied in anguish. "I loved her more than anything else in the world, and you took her away!"   
  
"Good, it's better that way," the dark T.K. responded.   
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"   
  
Suddenly, the dark T.K. began to cry, "I said, it's better this way. You'd be better off if she died. If she's dead, then she can't break you're heart like she did to me.   
  
"What do you mean?" T.K. asked. He stopped crying.   
  
" I know you're from another world, but the Kari that was in this world before you came, she rejected me. I fell in love with her and when I confessed to her my feelings, she rejected me. I know it was selfish of me, but when I saw her that first time when you fell into the Sakura tree forest, I… I just couldn't help it. Feelings of pain, rejection, jealously, and the need for revenge welled up inside of me… I wanted her dead for what she did to my heart. It's still lying in broken pieces at the bottom of a canyon."   
  
T.K. looked at the dark T.K. Shakily he said, "But Kari didn't do that to you. The _other_ Kari did."   
  
The dark T.K. nodded, "I know but when I saw you, and the way you looked at her, I just knew that she would break your heart like the other one broke mine. So, I decided to kill her, and rid you of the possibility that she could do that to you. You don't deserve it, _I_ didn't deserve it. But if I hurt you, I'm sorry. I'm really not as evil as you think. I just didn't want you to go through what I had too."   
  
T.K. was shocked. "But I…"   
  
"If you still love her and you want to tell her, wait until you know for sure that she loves you back. Wait for her to tell you first," the dark T.K. advised. He began to fade. T.K. was silent as he let the dark T.K.'s advice sink into his head. Just before the dark T.K. completely disappeared he yelled, "WAIT!"   
  
The dark T.K. became solid again. T.K. opened his mouth and asked, "Who did she reject you for?"   
  
"She left me for my real close friend, Davis. He told her first, and she realized that she shared his feelings," the dark T.K. confessed. (A/N. That was so hard to write. Kari and Davis. It pains me to think about it.)   
  
T.K.'s eyes widened as the dark T.K. disappeared completely. Davis? That's who she would leave him for? _Davis?_   
  
"Wait, come back," he whispered feebly.   
  
"Don't worry. I'll come back," the no longer _dark_ T.K.'s voice rang through the air. "I'll be back."   
  
T.K. slowly stood up and picked up Mimi as well. After many trips, he finally was able to stumble into the bathroom and take a nice hot shower, before he stumbled blindly back to the hospital and into Kari's room, 304. He sat next to her bed for a while before he finally submitted to the darkness and fell asleep. His upper body drooped until it was draped across the bed, his head lying on Kari's stomach. The ex-dark T.K. appeared floating and overlooked the angelic scene of the two angels asleep.   
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   
  
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review. Next chapter will hopefully be out soon.   
ebacusta *~.^* 5 


	12. Finally Everything Starts to Calm Down T...

Ebacusta: Hey guys. Summer Break is finally here, and I have lots to do. I'm going to restart off my updating career by updating this fic. Please enjoy it.  
  
Joe: As usual, we'd like to thank some people. These people are:  
  
**Ishuldar  
  
racx  
  
mimi angel  
  
Angelz  
  
RougeSummersLover  
  
Rockie-chan  
  
PuppKid  
  
GatomonAndKariFan**  
  
Yolei: Here's the best part of the whole fanfiction! The disclaimer!  
  
Ebacusta's computer: That lummox over there does not own Digimon. If she did, lord knows what would have happened to the series.  
  
Ebacusta: HEY! kicks computer out of window Stupid piece of crap. turns to stomp off when suddenly her computer flys back in the window and knocks her out of the window OW! CURSE YOU!  
  
TK: Right. Anyway, we have a little note from the desk of Ebacusta. It says: "I reread the 10th chapter of this fic and have decided that the Sky power was already incorporated in Weather, so, in addition to what we have already seen, I've added some cool new features to the power, one of which will appear in this chapter. And the rest in the chapters to come."  
  
Davis: With that done and over, we can start the fic.  
  
Matt, Tai, and TK: yelling to be heard over each other FIC TIME!!!  
  
Ebacusta: climbing back in the window Accursed machine.  
  
Try, Try, Try, Again  
By ebacusta  
Chapter 12

**Finally Everything Starts To Calm. The Powers of Mist, Snow, and Earth**  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
The dark T.K. became solid again. T.K. opened his mouth and asked, "Who did she reject you for?"  
  
"She left me for my real close friend, Davis. He told her first, and she realized that she shared his feelings," the dark T.K. confessed. (A/N. That was so hard to write. Kari and Davis. It pains me to think about it.)  
  
T.K.'s eyes widened as the dark T.K. disappeared completely. Davis? That's who she would leave him for? _Davis?_  
  
"Wait, come back," he whispered feebly.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll come back," the no longer _dark_ T.K.'s voice rang through the air. "I'll be back."  
  
T.K. slowly stood up and picked up Mimi as well. After many trips, he finally was able to stumble into the bathroom and take a nice hot shower, before he stumbled blindly back to the hospital and into Kari's room, 304. He sat next to her bed for a while before he finally submitted to the darkness and fell asleep. His upper body drooped until it was draped across the bed, his head lying on Kari's stomach. The ex-dark T.K. appeared floating and overlooked the angelic scene of the two angels asleep.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Kari's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and looked around. TK was asleep in the chair beside her bed. A nurse, who was coming in to check on the two, said, "Oh, you're awake. Let me go get the doctor." She left as fast as she had come.  
  
A moment later she and the doctor entered the room. The doctor approached her. "How do you feel?" he asked.  
  
"Much better, thank you," Kari said recalling what had happened.  
  
"Mm-hmm, that's good. Now let's see this cut," he said lifting the hospital dress she was in. Kari blushed. He examined it a minute.  
  
"Hmm. It's almost completely healed. And in just two weeks as well. Fast healer aren't you," he commented.  
  
Kari smiled, "I guess so." Suddenly, TK's eyes jerked open and he sat straight up.  
  
"Kari, you're awake!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah," she said nodding.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked.  
  
"Good, thank you very much," she said. "And how about you?"  
  
"I'm feeling better now that I know you're out of your coma and feeling good," he said smiling.  
  
"I was in a coma?" Kari asked.  
  
TK nodded, "Uh-huh. We were all pretty worried too. Tai will be ecstatic that you're finally awake. I'll go get him." He stood up.  
  
"Wait TK," Kari said. "I'd like to talk to you for a while if you don't mind."  
  
"Sure." He sat back down.  
  
"What have you been doing these two weeks? Have you gone to work? School?" she asked.  
  
"I've been to school, but I've skipped work. I went and explained the situation to our employers, and they fully understand and have just counted the missing days as sick days for both of us," TK said.  
  
"How was school?" Kari asked.  
  
"A bit of an adjustment. I have to admit, it's taken me a little longer to adjust to the new school, since you haven't been around. But, there are some really nice people at the school, I think you'll enjoy it," TK said.  
  
"What day is it?" she asked.  
  
"Sunday," TK replied.  
  
"I see," Kari said.  
  
"Do you know who's class I'm in?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, mine," he said.  
  
"What's our schedule?"  
  
"Just like we put on the survey. English, PE, Math, Geography, Science, Home Economics, and then Japanese," he responded.  
  
"What are the classes like?"  
  
"Well, I'll let you take a guess with Math, Science, and Japanese. You get three tries, and the first two don't count. Geograpghy's okay. Science has been a bit weird. I haven't had a lab partner for two weeks, same with Home Ec. PE has been fun though," TK responded.  
  
"Really," Kari said. "Do you have a fan club already?"  
  
He nodded smiling. "But you'd be surprised. Everyone fit right in, and they're looking forward to meeting you, sister of Tai and Davis, friend of Matt and Willis, best friend of TK, and kiss receiver from Willis. They all think you're an amazing girl. Furthermore, you're friends with all the 'popular' girls, those being Sora, Yolei, and Mimi. You know all the hot ones and are close to them, those being me, Matt, Tai, Izzy, and Davis..."  
  
"Wait, Davis got a fan club?" Kari asked.  
  
"Everyone did. They think all the guys are cute including Joe, Cody, and Izzy (A/N. I think 02 Izzy is kinda cute in a brainiac sort of way.) And believe it or not. You already have a fan club. Two actually. One is guys and the other is girls," TK said.  
  
"Woah, you're kidding," Kari gasped.  
  
"Nope," TK said shaking his head. "And when you go in tomorrow, if you're feeling up to going, they'll mob you."  
  
"Wow," Kari said. "That's amazing. Anyway, I've been slacking in my load, so tomorrow, I'm going to school, work, and catching up on my chores. I'm worried about how the heck we're suppose to afford these medical bills. Man I just cause you guys a lot of trouble."  
  
"That's not true!" TK exclaimed. "And don't worry. We'll find a way."  
  
"Well, you can go get Tai and the others now. I'm glad I got a chance to talk to you. I'm glad you're doing well," Kari said.  
  
"Same to you," TK said standing up and leaving the room.

- - - - - - -  
  
The next day, Kari, dressed in her Sakura High uniform, walked with the others to school. As the building came into view Kari saw a crowd of people waiting.  
  
"Those are our fan clubs," TK said. "We need to get you to the office alive, so you and I are going to go in a back way. Come on." He grabbed her arm and pulled her off. She and him ran around the side of the building, jumped the wall, and ran into an alley in between the gym shed, and the school building. There was a door. TK opened it and they entered. Dashing silently through the halls, TK and Kari made it into the office alive, and well, where they were greeted by Kathy.  
  
"Ahh. Kay, it's nice to know you're out of the hospital. Let's see, you're in TK's class, so here's you're schedule, and I'll let Tee show you around. You're homeroom teacher is Ms. Alexandra. She's from America, and from what you parents tell me, you and her will be able to have highly intelligent conversations together, in _English _too," Kathy said. She moved around the office, gathering the things Kari needed. She dumped them all in her arms.  
  
"TK, can you show her to Ms. Alexandra's classroom?" Kathy asked sitting back behind her desk.  
  
"Sure," he said. He grabbed Kari's arm and pulled her out of the office. He was able to get her to the classroom without being noticed where she introduced herself to the teacher, and was introduced to the teacher.  
  
"Katherine. That's a pretty name," Ms. Alexandra said. "Well Tee. Homeroom is about to start, so you should take your seat."  
  
"Yes ma'am," TK said. He went to his seat by the window. The students all filed into the room. Kari listened as Ms. Alexandra made the announcement. The students buzzed as they looked at her.  
  
"I know all of you have warmly and eagerly embraced, TK, Rachel, Kevin, and your other new classmates. And I also know that you have been waiting with baited breath to meet the last of the new arrivals. So, I have no doubt that you will embrace her with as much kindness as you have the others. Katherine, introduce yourself." Ms. Alexandra looked at her.  
  
"My name is Katherine Yagami. I prefer to be called Kay. I was an exchange student in America for a year, and I used to have a friend who lived there. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, and spending time with my family. My favorite bands include Jungle Smile, Sugar, and Porno Graffiti." (A/N. These are all actual bands that have done music for animes.)  
  
"Any questions for Ms. Yagami?" Ms. Alexandra asked.  
  
"Yeah," a girl had raised her hand. "Who do you like better? TK or Will?"  
  
"Yeah who do you like better?" Someone else agreed.  
  
Kari blushed, "Um..."  
  
"I have a better more important question," a boy said raising his hand. All the boys in the classroom had notebooks out and were rapidly taking notes. Well, everybody except Willis, who she noticed sitting two seats in front of TK, and TK, of course. "When's your birthday?"  
  
"April 9th," Kari said.  
  
"What's your favorite kind of candy?"  
  
"Chocolate," she responded.  
  
"What kind of chocolate?"  
  
"Milk and white chocolate," Kari said.  
  
"What's your favorite color?"  
  
"Lilac," Kari said.  
  
"What's your favorite flower?"  
  
"Chrysanthemums."  
  
"Who's your best friend?"  
  
"Tee."  
  
"What do you look for in a guy?"  
  
"He has to be kind, considerate, interesting, can fake that he's interested in something you're saying, even if he really isn't listening. It only helps if he has good-looks and I've known him for a while. Also, we should have similar interests, and he should definitely not be conceited, picky, nosy, or pushy. I also don't like guys who are to clingy. But it's nice to have someone who will call you, not you call them," Kari said.  
  
"Speaking of calling, what's you phone number?"  
  
She remembered that Sora had told her the number and address to their apartment and had made sure she memorized it, "789-0061."  
  
"Is that you're home number or your cell?"  
  
"Home."  
  
"What's your cell?"  
  
"452-3021."  
  
"I think that's enough questions. You can talk to Katherine or Kay rather, during your breaks. Kay, why don't you take a seat in that vacant seat in front of Tee?" Ms. Alexandra said pointing.  
  
Kari grinned at TK. Girls saw this, and instantly became starry-eyed and dreamy, wishing that they could sit next to TK or that they could be his best friend. Kari noticed three girls sitting next to each other, who didn't seem to care. They were watching her. They looked pretty friendly. She slid into her seat in front of her best friend.  
  
Ms. Alexandra started announcements. TK tapped her shoulder, "See, what I mean?"  
  
Kari smiled and nodded.

- - - - - - - - - -  
  
It was lunch; Kari followed TK and sat beside him outside under a tree. Willis, Davis, Yolei, Sora, and the other digidestined joined soon thereafter. As soon as TK sat down, people began rushing over to sit there. When Kari sat down, the rush became more urgent, when Willis, Davis, Yolei, and Ken came and sat, it became a fight. But when the others came especially Matt, the fight turned into an all out war.  
  
"Is this what you guys have endured everyday for two weeks?" Kari asked. TK nodded and smiled. He opened his box lunch. Suddenly two girls fell out of no where next to Kari. Kari yelped in surprise.  
  
TK grinned. "Oh, this is Mina and that's Kyoko." One more girl landed next to Kari. "And this is Kei. They're some of the girls who aren't ape all over our looks and such."  
  
"How did you get through the fight?" Kari asked.  
  
"We flipped over it," Kei shrugged.  
  
"And, they're very athletic," TK said.  
  
Kari smiled, "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you too," they all said in unison. Kari recognized the girls from her classroom.  
  
"Are you allowed to eat outside much?" Kari asked the other DigiDestined. "Or is this just a one time thing."  
  
"Normally, they'd make us eat inside in our classrooms, but since it's been such nice weather the past few weeks, they've been letting us eat outside," Sora said.  
  
"Mimi what are you doing?" Kari asked.  
  
"Cramming for my Geography test," Mimi responded. "I was studying all night but I still don't get it. I'm gonna FAIL!" she wailed. "And then if I fail, they're gonna arrange a meeting with my parents, and that's gonna..."  
  
"Mimi," Izzy cut her off. "Calm down. I'll help you study, okay?"  
  
"Really?" Mimi asked brightening.  
  
Izzy nodded, "Yeah."  
  
Mimi jumped on him in a huge hug. "THANK YOU SO MUCH IZZY! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER FOR THIS!"  
  
Izzy and Mimi started to study for the test leaving the other digidestined with nothing to do except talk.  
  
Kari talked to the three non-digidestined girls, and by the end of lunch they had become quick friends. As they were walking into the building Kari said, "So, how long have you guys gone here? I mean, I've heard the Sakura has other extensions like a middle school and a lower school, and even a Kindergarten."  
  
"We've all been here since their Kindergarten grade, but me and Mina are moving to Tokyo, so we'll be switching schools in 2 months. The day before summer vacation is our last day at this school," Kyoko said.  
  
Mina smiled, "We'll start the new semester in a new school."  
  
"But of course, we'll miss Kei. We've been friends since we were kids. We grew up together, so this move is a big thing to us and Kei. It's the first time we've ever been separated," Kyoko said. Mina nodded.  
  
"That sounds like my relationship with TK," Kari said smiling.  
  
"Kay! Come here!" Tai yelled.  
  
"I've got to go, by brother is calling me," Kari said. "I'll see you in class." She waved and ran towards her brother.  
  
They waved after her.

- - - - - - - - - - -  
  
"Okay class. I have a new project that I think you'll enjoy. I've already taken the liberty of putting you in your groups, so I'll go ahead and tell them to you so you can move together," the Geography teacher, Mrs. Rogers, said.  
  
Kari ended up in a group with TK, Kyoko, and Mina. They pushed they're desks together and then looked at the teacher for more instructions.  
  
"I want you to decide on a place you all like. And what you're going to do in this project is interview the owner, build a model of the building, and write a report about it. Please, brainstorm with your partners and began planning," Mrs. Rogers said. She went and sat at her desk.  
  
"HMV," Mina and Kyoko said at the same time.  
  
"Fine," Kari and TK shrugged. "When do you want to go?"  
  
"How about today?" Mina asked.  
  
Kari shook her head, "Can't, I have to work."  
  
"So do I," TK said.  
  
"How about tomorrow then?"  
  
"Work," Kari said shaking her head.  
  
"Wednesday?" Mina asked.  
  
"Work."  
  
"Thursday?"  
  
"Work."  
  
"Okay, when do you not have to work?" Kyoko asked.  
  
"Sunday," Kari and TK said in unison. "At least not until Sunday night."  
  
"Why are you guys working so much?" Mina asked.  
  
"We need money," Kari shrugged. "Why else would you work?"  
  
"Okay, back to the subject at hand. We'll go interview him on Sunday," Kyoko said. "But since you guys have work everyday of the week, when are we gonna build the thing? The project will probably be due in two weeks or so."  
  
Kari bit her lip but said, "We may be able to get Friday and Saturday off."  
  
"That would be good," Mina said. "Would you ask him?"  
  
TK and Kari nodded. "Sure."

- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Kari and TK stood in front of the subway station. They had asked their boss for time off for a school project and he had let them off and was completely understanding. So, now, on Friday afternoon TK and Kari stood in front of the station waiting for Kyoko and Mina.  
  
"There they are," Kari said pointing. Kyoko and Mina were running towards them.  
  
"Sorry we're late," Mina gasped. "How was track?"  
  
"It was good," TK said.  
  
"That's nice," Kyoko replied. "Are you guys ready?" They nodded and all got on the subway.

- - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Kari, TK, Mina, and Kyoko all sat in silence. Kari squinted into the distance. Something was coming.  
  
"Uh-oh," Kari said when she realized what it was. She tugged on TK's sleeve. "TK, we've got company." TK looked. They were closer now.  
  
"Oh no," TK said. "Not the sentinels."  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Kari said. "If we use our powers, people might recognize it's us."  
  
"But if we don't use our powers, we're sitting ducks, likely to be captured, and then they'll definitely know who we are," TK replied.  
  
"So then I guess we have no choice," Kari said. The Sentinels were upon them. They picked up the subway train. Screams erupted from people in the train.  
  
"What's going on?" Kyoko asked. She and Mina were on their feet. The roof of the train was peeled off revealing the face of the sentinel. Kari and TK jumped out of the train. They were over water, just fabulous. TK activated his wind powers and used it to help them float leaving Kari with the duty of defending them.  
  
And she did. Kari blasted one of them, careful not to damage the one holding the train. But then, out of no where a dark blast knocked away a sentinel about to attack them.  
  
Kari thought it was the dark TK, but, was surprised when Mina and Kyoko jumped out of the train as well. They plummeted towards the water.  
  
"TK!" Kari screamed. But the scream was unnecessary. Mina activated her powers and formed an ice column beneath them; she made it higher until it was level with the train tracks. She made one for Kari, one for TK, and one for Kyoko, each at varying heights. Kari took advantage of this and blasted the sentinel holding the train. It stumbled, throwing the train.  
  
Kari could here the passengers' screams of terror. TK used his wind to lift the heavy object, but unfortunately, some of the passengers fell out. More ice columns were made by Mina catching the people. TK sat the train back on the track and then used his powers to deposit the people who had fallen out back in the train.  
  
Since TK was busy doing all this, he didn't notice the tendril headed for him. Kari dove since TK's column was lower than hers.  
  
"TK watch out!" Kari yelled. She knocked him off the column and they fell towards the water. A big ice column caught them this time. Kari blasted the sentinel to pieces. Another was frozen and crashed into the water creating a big splash. Kari and TK both jumped off the big column and landed back on their own. With the combine use of the four powers, the sentinels were quickly defeated. Using his wind, TK set the four tired teens back into the train, which started to move again.

- - - - - - - - - - -  
  
"Wow," Kari said as they walked through the crowded streets of Shibuya. "I didn't know you guys had powers too."  
  
"My brother has the power of ice," TK said.  
  
"Really?" Kyoko asked.  
  
"We didn't know _you_ had powers," Mina said. Kari smiled. They pushed through the door of HMV and walked up to a counter.  
  
"Excuse me ma'am," Mina asked the woman. "We're here to see the owner. We're from Sakura High and we're doing a Geography assignment."  
  
"Ahh, yes. He's expecting you. Go on upstairs," she said, gesturing for them to come behind the counter and take the stairs that would lead to the other offices as well.  
  
"Thank you," they said as they went through the door that blocked the stairs off from view and proceeded up them. They followed the hall all the way to the end where on a golden plaque it said: _Patrica Newcomb, Boss_. TK knocked on the door politely.  
  
"Come in," came a voice. They pushed to door open slowly and slipped into the large spacious office.  
  
"Um, we're from Sakura High. We called to arrange an interview for our Geography Project," Kyoko said timidly. The woman sitting behind the desk smiled.  
  
"Oh of course. I've been expecting you and," she looked at the clock. "Right on time." They smiled.  
  
Kari thought, "After all that's happened, how are we still on time?"  
  
"Okay, we only have a few questions, miss," TK said.  
  
"Please, go ahead," the owner said setting down her papers and looking at him intently.  
  
"Okay, question one..."

- - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
"Thank you for allowing us to take pictures of the place," Kari said.  
  
"And thanks for the interview," Kyoko added. TK and Mina waved and they left the office. When they passed back out into the store, the clerk stopped them.  
  
"Ms. Newcomb asked me to give these to you," she said and handed them bags.  
  
"Oh, thank you," they all said and with a wave hurried outside. Once back outside, Kari marveled at the lights that shown in the darkness. They headed for the subway station. Mina looked around with absolute glee.  
  
"Just think Kyoko, when we transfer to Tokyo we'll be able to come to Shibuya all the time," she said.  
  
"And Ikebukuro, Ginza, Nihonbashi, and Daikinyama," Kyoko added.  
  
"And let's not forget Odaiba!" Mina exclaimed. Kari and TK looked down at the mention of their hometown. Having been gone the longest of the 13 DigiDestined with the exception of Willis and Ken, as they arrived at the same time, they had been away from their homes the longest. Especially Kari, who had just been found after being missing for days, the thought made them depressed.  
  
Kyoko noticed the sudden change in her once cheery partners,  
  
"Something wrong you guys?" she asked.  
  
Kari and TK looked up. "No, no," they said smiling and waving their hands in front of their faces. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"You both looked kind of sad at the mention of Odaiba," Mina replied.  
  
"Well we weren't. We're just fine," Kari replied.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," TK agreed.  
  
"Whatever you say," Kyoko and Mina shrugged. After that, they entered the station to head home and start working on the project.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Kari smiled to herself. Her group had given their report that day, two weeks after it was assigned, and it had been 2 months since she and TK had meet up with Tai and the others. She sat in the living room of the apartment she shared with the other DigiDestined. Matt and Tai were working on an article for their magazine. Sora was working on new clothing designs, while Mimi practiced some new recipes in the kitchen.  
  
Yolei, Cody, and Davis had all gone out, as had TK. Izzy was sitting on a stool in the kitchen working on something with his computer, he was also Mimi's taste tester. She was gonna go out in a few minutes. She stood and stretched, and then told Mimi she was going out for a little while.  
  
"Be home in an hour," Mimi said.  
  
"Okay," Kari replied. It was not without good reason that Mimi had said this. It was passed ten.  
  
"And if you see TK, Yolei, or the others, tell them to come home. It's late," Mimi added as Kari put on her shoes.  
  
"Okay," she said.  
  
"And pick up some chocolate chips and milk for me," Mimi added.  
  
"Okay," Kari said  
  
"And some OJ!" Mimi yelled as Kari closed the door.  
  
"Okay," Kari said and left. She ran down the stairs and out into the warm night air. She went down to the store on the corner and saw TK, looking at magazines, Davis looking at video games, Yolei checking out movies, and Cody looking at books.  
  
"Hi guys," Kari said as she entered. They all looked up.  
  
"Hey Kari," they said.  
  
"Mimi wants you guys to come home. She said it's late," Kari told them as she went to go get her chocolate chips, milk, and orange juice.  
  
"Okay," they said. Kari got the items plus some candy for herself and they all left the building. Suddenly, water poured down on Kari's head. She screamed.  
  
They all turned around to see a group of men standing. Kari threw her hand forward and blasted some of them out. TK blew some of them to who knows where. And then Yolei, Davis, and Cody began to glow. Yolei, who was glowing brown, clenched her fist and then raised her hand and a huge column of earth came up and knocked away four or five men before sinking back into the ground again.  
  
Then Davis, glowing a light gray, and Cody, glowing a pure white, both waved their hands and instantly a thick fog settled around the group and a blizzard began to rage. Kari and TK took this chance. Kari putting both her hands together formed a huge ball of light and threw it at the mist. TK created a large gust of wind and blew the men, mist, and snow out of the city.  
  
They all smirked before Yolei fell heavily against Kari, while and Davis and Cody collapsed into TK. Lugging their unconscious friends home, Kari and TK grinned at each other. This world wasn't so bad after all, the constant amount of idiots that kept coming for them were a great way to relieve stress.

- - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
A few days later, Kari, TK, Tai, Kyoko, and Mina all stood in the overpass talking during break. Sora, Mimi, and Izzy joined them.  
  
Kari looked out of the skywalk they were standing in and looked down at the lush greenery beneath them. "Isn't the scenery beautiful?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," Mimi said nodding in agreement. Suddenly Sora glowed a sky blue for a second.  
  
"Everybody get out," Sora said in a low voice. "EVERYBODY MOVE!" she shouted.  
  
"Sarah, what's wrong?" Tai asked.  
  
"MOVE!" she yelled. Most of the kids began to shuffle out of the way. There were so many in the way that it was hard to move. Before Kari got a chance to move, a red beam came charging at the area where she was standing. Kari dived out of the way. The beam blast through the middle of the walk.  
  
"Kay are you okay?" TK asked.  
  
"Yeah," Kari nodded. Suddenly she heard a cracking sound. She looked behind her to see the ground was breaking up. She looked down. A crack had already begun to form. Before she could move, the area where she was lying and areas behind it all broke up. She screamed as she fell. Her uniform caught on a wire sticking out. She heard a rip.  
  
"Why me?" she thought as the back of her uniform tore and she fell head first towards the ground.  
  
------------------------  
  
I hope you enjoyed it. This will probably be my last update because I'm gonna be really busy with family after next week. I'll try to update You Could Save Me If You Really Wanted To before then as well. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to REVIEW!  
  
ebacusta .


	13. Moving Again

  
Ebacusta: I'm home. Back where I belong. I went on vacation in Florida to see my cousins (and my new baby cousin. Kawaii!) And, it took me the whole trip home yesterday to finish planning this chapter, so I hope you like it.   
  
Kari: Before we do the customary thanking, and disclaimer, and so on, we have an important announcement. Ebacusta has succeeded in putting up the ULTIMATE TAKARI PROOF, on her brand new web page (now officially 3 weeks old). Check it out.   
  
Willis: Now, we would to thank:   
  
**Hiashi**- they are boyfriend and girlfriend in _this_ world. They aren't questioning their relationship in _this_ world anymore. The real world is a different story. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the Digital World. I have lots planned for there.   
  
**Digicyber**- I might do that, actually, I have this idea in a story that I've been planning for about a month, but, I haven't put it up yet.   
  
**Rain-witch-85**- That theory works too. In fact, I like it better than the one they provided. Ha ha.   
  
**GatomonandKariFan**- thanks, I'm fine, you?   
  
**Mimi angel**- Well, it was calm compared to what's going to happen in this chapter.   
  
**Carrie**- I have the websites on my homepage which I got up before I left. It's under quiz results. To get to my homepage, look in my profile.   
  
**Rockie-chan-** Yeah, I know about the whole obsession thing, but, I experience this whole thing that at the end of every series I like, I cry and get depressed because I know it's over. There's no more episodes, no more development, and sure I can rewatch, but it's not new. Does anyone else experience that or is it just me?   
Anyway, the DigiDestined will be reunited with their Digimon soon. But, that's all I'll tell you. And I do know about Michael. But, I'm just curious, why'd you mention him in your review.   
  
**Racx-** Please, do the story. I'll read it. I promise. But, you'll have to tell me the title and your username so I can find it. And, I'm glad your back. I mentioned you again. Ha ha.   
  
Ebacusta: I'm in a good mood today. So, this chapter isn't particularly depressing, at least not to me.   
  
Ken: Disclaimer. Ebacusta does not own Digimon. She does own this idea (not the idea of powers, that belongs to Digifriends) of the virus and she does own her made up characters, the most recent being Mina, Kyoko, and Kei.   
  
TK: That said and done. Fic time.   
  


Try, Try, Try, Again   
By ebacusta   
Chapter 13   
  
**Moving Again**

  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
"MOVE!" she yelled. Most of the kids began to shuffle out of the way. There were so many in the way that it was hard to move. Before Kari got a chance to move, a red beam came charging at the area where she was standing. Kari dived out of the way. The beam blast through the middle of the walk.   
  
"Kay are you okay?" TK asked.   
  
"Yeah," Kari nodded. Suddenly she heard a cracking sound. She looked behind her to see the ground was breaking up. She looked down. A crack had already begun to form. Before she could move, the area where she was lying and areas behind it all broke up. She screamed as she fell. Her uniform caught on a wire sticking out. She heard a rip.   
  
"Why me?" she thought as the back of her uniform tore and she fell head first towards the ground.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------   
  
"Oof," she said as she made contact with purple metal. "Ow." The metal started moving. She looked around. It was a hand, no doubt the hand of a sentinel, and it was closing. "Not this time Mr. Sentinel," she said. She crouched down and jumped out of it. She landed on the shoulder of another sentinel.   
  
It reached for her. "Oops. Wrong stop." She jumped to a third, but before it could do anything, she jumped into the air and glowed white. She blasted all the sentinels in order.   
  
"Katherine!" TK yelled. He jumped out of the walkway and blew away an oncoming sentinel.   
  
"Kay!" Tai yelled. Him, Mimi, Izzy, and Sora all jumped out as well and began to glow red, green, yellow, and sky blue respectively. Mina and Kyoko jumped out after them glowing black and blue.   
  
TK made a gust of wind and carried them all down to the ground, setting them down softly. Students above chattered after watching their classmates destroy the fabled mechanical bounty hunters, known as Sentinels.   
  
Suddenly, out of no where, men started jumping up. On the other side, many sentinels became visible. And then something neither Kari, Ken, TK, nor Willis expected.   
  
"Hello. Remember us?" came a voice. TK and Kari whirled around and there stood TK, Kari, Willis, and Ken's roommates. "Obviously, your thinking has been tampered with. Why else would you resist Ms. Riverton?" Satsuki said.   
  
"Because she's up to no good!" Kari yelled back.   
  
"Whatever did this to you is up to no good," Satsuki retorted.   
  
TK's roommate jumped up. His blue hair seemed to glow, and then the rest of his body. TK's other roommate jumped up as well. He began to glow a dull gray. (A/N. I will from here on out refer to their roommates as the element they possess.)   
  
Willis' roommates jumped in front of TK. One glowing a light gray and the other glowing blue. Kari and Ken's roommates were the back-ups. At least they were until an ice wall grew between Kari, TK, and his and Willis' roommates and Kari and Ken's roommates.   
  
They whirled around.   
  
Mina and Kyoko stood there smiling. "Let's play fair," Kyoko said. The roommates growled and activated their powers. Kari's roommates, one glowing red, the other glowing yellow, chose Mina, leaving Kyoko with Ken's, one glowing green, and one glowing white. (A/N. Imagine a spilt-screen effect right here.)   
  
"Bring it," Kyoko, Mina, TK, and Kari all said at the same time.   
  
-------   
Back in the overpass   
-------   
  
"What's happening?" Yolei asked.   
  
"Mina just made an ice wall in between Kari, TK, and herself, and Kyoko," Willis said. "I never knew she had powers. (A/N. TK and Kari never told them about the subway adventure.)   
  
"There's men every where," Joe said.   
  
"Yeah we should get down and help," Davis said.   
  
Cody spoke, "How?"   
  
"Leave that to me," Matt said. He glowed for a second, and then he froze a slide down from the overpass down to the ground.   
  
"Let's go!" Willis exclaimed as he, Matt, and Yolei all jumped on the slide and took a snow boarding position as they slid down the slide, and then jumped off. Davis was next. He ran, tripped and rolled down the slide, but jumped off at the last minute and kicked a guy in the face. Ken, Joe, and Cody all shrugged, and slid down crouching slightly.   
  
Upon reaching the ground, they immediately joined the fight against the men and sentinels. The classmates still in the overpass area watch all this in confusion and awe.   
  
"Awesome," one of them whispered.   
  
---------   
Kari vs. Sky and Weather (TK's Roommates)   
---------   
  
Sky activated his powers and threw his hand up. Kari went flying into the sky. Weather held his hands close together before throwing them up as well. A storm began to brew. Sky was tossing her through the air. It was hard to aim. She lined it up as best she could and fired a blast of light.   
  
It smacked into Weather knocking him to the ground. Instantly the sky cleared up.   
  
"Now to get back on the ground," Kari said quietly as she aimed at Sky who was busy looking at Weather. She hit him too, releasing his hold on her. She began to fall.   
  
"Didn't think this one all the way through," Kari thought as she fell. But, fortunately for her, she landed on Matt's ice slide and slid down it, until she reached the ground. By the time she reached the ground, her butt was freezing. Weather and Sky were running towards her in addition to a large group of men, no doubt with powers.   
  
"I didn't want to have to do this," Kari said loudly. "Haaaaaah!" she yelled as she clapped her hands together, and then pulled them back apart. There was a thick "string" of light in between the two, and then out came a large boomerang shaped blast. It hit Sky and Weather, knocking them into a tree, and thus rendering them unconscious and blasting the other men away.   
  
"Sorry," Kari apologized.   
  
---------   
Sora vs. Random Men with Powers   
---------   
  
Sora kicked a man in the stomach and flipped out of the way of another's attack. She punched him in the face, before performing a heel drop and knocking him out.   
  
"Mimi," Sora said, as she glanced at the girl who was using her powers to trap men in leafy prisons with an earthy yet strong lock on their hands.   
  
"Yes?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Can you get the apartment manager to see if he can transfer us to another apartment in a different city?" Sora asked. She jumped over one of the men's heads, and hit him on his pressure point knocking him out.   
  
"Sure, but can you get us transferred to another school?" Mimi asked. "I don't want to have to do this every time I come to school."   
  
"Sure," Sora agreed. "But first..."   
  
"...let's deal with these losers," Mimi finished. She raised her hands a little. Out of the earth, vines shot up, and hooked together forming a big cage.   
  
"Great idea," Sora said as she began glowing sky blue. She gathered up all the men with her powers, and then raised them into the air. Carefully, she carried them over to the cage and dropped them in. As soon as a man touched the cage, vines, shot up and locked his hands together so he could not activate his powers. Sora did this a few more times, until every man on the premises was in the cage.   
  
"Now to top it all off," Mimi said. She used her powers again. Vines, came and formed a top to the cage rendering the men inside it utterly helpless. "Pretty," Mimi said as she walked over and tugged on a vine forming one of the walls, "yet strong."   
  
"Come on!" Sora exclaimed. The two girls turned and ran.   
  
---------   
Mina vs. Fire and Lightening (Kari's Roommates)   
---------   
  
"Haa!" Fire exclaimed as she fired a burst of flame at Mina. Mina flipped over her, and kicked her in the back.   
  
"Uh!" Lightening grunted as she tried to blast Mina. Mina flipped over her as well. As she turned around, there were two blasts coming at her. She quickly formed a large ice wall in front of her.   
  
"Whew, close one," Mina thought. Mina could here Fire and Lightening on the other side of the wall.   
  
"Where is she?" Fire asked.   
  
"I don't know," Lightening replied. "The ice distorts her image." Mina grinned. Excellent.   
  
Mina, ran back a little and then sprinted forward and used the momentum to flip over the wall.   
  
"Aaaah!" Fire and Lightening screamed in surprise. Mina landed and kicked Lightening in the back of the head, and in one swift motion grabbed Fire and flipped her over her back.   
  
From there, Mina jumped off her ice wall and spun into the air in a loose circle (about five feet in diameter) blasting ice down. She continued to do this until they were encased in a ice column. Mina landed on one of the sides. She looked down at them and smirked. She froze a lid with a nose sized hole for air before jumping off.   
  
---------   
TK vs. Mist and Water (Willis' Roommates)   
---------   
  
Mist glowed. Suddenly a thick fog settled around TK.   
  
"Clever, but...THAT WON'T WORK!" TK yelled. He activated his own powers and blew away the fog. Water, who had been charging up a blast, tried to hit him with it. TK jumped out of the way, and he activated his powers again. He summoned his strength, and blew Water forcefully into Mist. They were both blown back into Mimi's cage, which instantly grew vines and held them tightly.   
  
---------   
Kyoko vs. Light and Wind (Ken's Roommates)   
---------   
  
Light fired a beam at Kyoko. Kyoko looked at it, and charged up her own attack, which she release a second later. A dark attack opened up and swallowed the light attack that had been fired at her and slammed into Light. He flew a few feet and hit the ground hard.   
  
"Hey!" Wind yelled.   
  
"Hey yourself," Kyoko replied in a level tone. Wind grew angry and made a gust of wind in an attempt to blow her away. But, Kyoko used this gust to her advantage. She jumped into it and let it carry her back to him. As she approached, she drew back her foot and kicked Wind into a tree.   
  
Wind and Light slowly stood and charged at her.   
  
"Don't you idiots get it? I don't want to harm you, but you're forcing me too," Kyoko said. Lazily she held out her hands and out of them came two dark bubbles. She sent one after Light and the other after Wind.   
  
Light tried to penetrate it with a blast of his own, while Wind attempted to blow it away. Their attacks did nothing. They turned to run, but the bubbles caught them.   
  
"No harm done," Kyoko said before she jumped off.   
  
---------   
Sora and Mimi   
---------   
  
Sora dashed up the stairs. She was tired but she didn't have time to rest. She lost Mimi on the way over here (they'd been attacked by another set of men) and so, now, not only was she worried about Mimi, but also about how the others were fairing.   
  
She burst into the apartment, and to her relief, Mimi was already there talking to the manager.   
  
"Yes, thank you so much for this," Mimi said.   
  
"When do you want the trucks to come?" the manager asked.   
  
"Tomorrow, if you can arrange that," Mimi replied.   
  
"Sure thing," he answered.   
  
"Thanks you very much," Mimi said bowing.   
  
"No problem," he replied. He left.   
  
"Well?" Sora asked as soon as Mimi had shut the door.   
  
"There is an apartment we can move too. It's in Tokyo," Mimi said.   
  
"What's the closest school to it?" Sora asked.   
  
"Spring Gardens High," Mimi replied.   
  
"Okay," Sora said. She picked up the phone and called Sakura High.   
  
"Hello, Kathy speaking. How may I help you?"   
  
"Yes, this is Sally, Sarah's mother," Sora said.   
  
"Ah yes. Hello Ms. Yagami," Kathy said. "How may I help you?"   
  
"Yes, I would like to transfer Sarah, Tom, Katherine, David, TK, Alex, Will, Gigi, Bryce, Rachel, Calvin, Kevin, and John to the Spring Gardens High in Tokyo," Sora said.   
  
"Oh, but your kids just got here," Kathy said.   
  
"Well, yes, but I really need to," Sora said. "But I know they've enjoyed the two months they've spent there."   
  
"Well that's good," Kathy said. "I'll put you through to the Principal."   
  
"Thank you," Sora said. Sora waited a minute and then the Principal picked up.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Yes, it's me Sally Yagami," Sora said.   
  
"Ah, hello, Ms. Yagami. Kathy mentioned that you wanted to transfer," he said.   
  
"Yes," Sora said. "Speaking on behalf of all their parents we want to transfer our kids to Spring Gardens High."   
  
"Well, that's all fine and dandy. I can transfer your kids, but until I get some kind of proof that the other parents want to transfer their kids, I can't move them," he said.   
  
"I understand. Georgia is right here hold on," Sora said. She handed the phone to Mimi.   
  
"Hi, it's me Georgia," Mimi said.   
  
"Hello, Ms. Takenouchi," he said. (A/N. When making up last names, Mimi and Izzy decided to pick up Sora's last name.)   
  
"Yes, I would like to transfer Bryce, Gigi, Rachel, and Calvin, to the Spring Gardens High School in Tokyo," Mimi said.   
  
"Okay, I just need clearance from Mark, and Jim to move Will, Alex, TK, and Kevin," the Principal said.   
  
"No problem. Will notes do? And can tomorrow be their last day?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Sure and sure," he said.   
  
"Okay, Sally will bring up some notes," Mimi said.   
  
"Well, I'm just curious, before you go, can you tell me why the sudden transfer?" the Principal asked.   
  
Mimi froze. "Why the sudden transfer?" she asked. Sora froze when she heard this. Almost instantly after that Sora started making frantic hand movements to Mimi.   
  
"Well, you know, I'll let you talk to Sally about that," Mimi said and quickly passed the phone off to Sora.   
  
"You see, my mother has grown ill, and all the kids love her. We're moving to be closer," Sora said.   
  
"Well, I certainly hope your mother gets well soon," the Principal said. "As soon as I get approval from Mark and Jim, I'll start the transfer."   
  
"Yes, thank you," she said and hung up the phone.   
  
"Mimi, I need you to call Spring Gardens High and enroll the kids in school," Sora said. I have to write up these notes. She wrote one for her kids and signed it, passed the pen and paper to Mimi, and had Mimi write and sign a quick one while she was on hold, and then took the pen and paper back herself to try and figure out how to do Joe and Matt's.   
  
She set the pen down and tried to imagine what Matt's handwriting looked like. She glowed a sky blue, and suddenly the pen picked itself up and began writing a note in Matt's handwriting. It signed it Mark, just the way Matt signed Mark. And then it moved on to Joe and signed Jim.   
  
"Wow, I guess that settles that," Sora said.   
  
Mimi hung up the phone, "We're all enrolled, due to start after summer vacation."   
  
"Excellent, I just have to take these notes up to the school. And you might as well come along," Sora said. She headed for the door.   
  
"Uh, Sora, you can't seriously think about going to the school as a mom in that outfit right?" Mimi asked. Sora looked down. She was still dressed in her Sakura High uniform.   
  
"Right, I need to change," Sora said and walked down the hall towards the bedrooms.   
  
"And shower!" Mimi called after her. "After all, if you're all sweaty he'll know something's up." While Sora was in the shower, Mimi took the liberty of arranging for their mail to be sent to this address as of Monday, and then she took the liberty of tracking down everyone's number to their jobs and calling all of them, getting them transferred to a branch in Tokyo. By the time she was done, Sora was done as well, dressed in a pants suit.   
  
"Nice Sora," Mimi said.   
  
"Thanks," Sora replied. The two left and walked quickly back to the school. Upon reaching the school, Sora walked into the Kathy's office, met and talked with the Principal, and the final agreement that they would switch after summer vacation was made.   
  
"Thank you very much," Sora said.   
  
---------   
Sakura High- Tk, Kari, Willis, and Ken   
---------   
  
"Kari!" She turned. Ken was running towards her.   
  
"Ken! Do you know where Willis and TK are?" Kari asked. "I haven't seen them around, and I'm worried."   
  
"You shouldn't be." TK landed next to her and Willis beside him.   
  
"Where did you come from?" Ken asked.   
  
"The sky," Willis said.   
  
"Whatever," Kari and Ken said together. "Let's go." The foursome ran towards the street. But then, suddenly, someone they were hoping wouldn't show up (or at least not find them) was Hilga Riverton. They tried to skid to a stop but ran into her and were knocked to the ground.   
  
"Hello children," she said. They stood up "It's time for you to return home." They turned to start running, but then, all of the sudden the ground began to shake. Unbalanced they fell to the ground again. And the thing that rushed around the corner caused their eyes to widen before they were squeezed shut.   
  
The huge wave of water crashed into them picking them and carrying them with the rest. Holding their breath, they felt a weird tingling sensation, and as the water leveled itself out, the four rose out of the water. They opened their eyes, and went to move when they noticed they were above the ground. Kari looked around. She pressed her hands in front of her. They made contact with the watery wall.   
  
They were trapped inside bubbles! Kari and the others began to bang on the side and shout out.   
  
"Help! Help!"   
  
---------   
Matt and Tai   
---------   
  
Tai looked around. "Hey, where's Kari? I haven't seen her since she fell."   
  
"TK!" Matt exclaimed.   
  
"Where?" Tai asked swinging his head around. And then he saw what Matt was talking about. Suspended in air, and trapped in bubbles were Kari, TK, Ken, and Willis.   
  
"KARI!" Tai yelled at the same time Matt yelled, "TK!" The two rocketed forward towards their younger siblings.   
  
"NO!" they yelled in unison. They both began to glow as they tried to activate their powers.   
  
"I don't think so," Hilga said. "I think you should let them be. They tie you down." She said. Out of the Earth came an arsenal of vines that wrapped around Tai and Matt's legs, arms, and torso, successfully holding them still.   
  
Tai and Matt began to struggle. "No! Kari! TK!" they yelled. "We'll get you. We promise!"   
  
"Tai! Matt!" came TK and Kari's watery sounding voice. "No."   
  
All this noise drew the attention of Cody and Yolei, who looked around and saw Tai and Matt, and then saw the bubbles.   
  
"Willis!" Cody exclaimed.   
  
"Ken!" Yolei called. She and Cody headed for the bubbles.   
  
"Stay back, or you'll be burned," Hilga said. A wall of fire erupted in front of them. They went to turn around to get around the wall, but saw that they were encircled by fire.   
  
"KEN!" Yolei yelled helplessly. The fire's heat was already getting to her. She and Cody backed in to the center of the circle where it was less hot.   
  
"WILLIS!"   
  
"KARI!" came a loud yell. Yolei and Cody looked in time to see Davis sprint pass their ring of fire and head for the bubbles.   
  
"Davis, no!" Yolei yelled after him. But it was too late. He was thrown into the air, and suspended upside down.   
  
"Kari!"   
  
Izzy and Joe, thinking this was a premiere opportunity to go for them since they thought she'd was to busy with the others, ran forward.   
  
"You two thought you could escape my watchful gaze?" Hilga asked. She laughed. A huge wall of Earth sprouted from the ground in all four directions. She laughed again and turned to leave.   
  
---------   
Sora and Mimi   
---------   
  
"You done?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Yep. It's all finished," Sora said.   
  
"Then put this on," she said handing Sora her school uniform.   
  
"Thanks," Sora said. She slipped into the nearby bathroom and put on her school uniform. She emerged a minute later clothed in her uniform.   
  
"Let's go," Sora said.   
  
"KARI!"   
  
Sora and Mimi spun around and ran for the nearest window. Davis hung upside down and Yolei & Cody stood in the middle of a roaring ring of fire.   
  
"Quickly Mimi, let's go!" Sora exclaimed. The two ran to the overpass and slid down the slide. They ran around it and snuck in between the bush and the building towards Hilga.   
  
"We'll have to jump," Sora said.   
  
"Okay," Mimi nodded. "Oh no. Look." Mimi pointed. Sora followed her finger and saw Hilga leaving with Kari, TK, Willis, and Ken.   
  
"We have to stop her. Let's go," Sora exclaimed. The two ran back and ran forward again flipping over the bush. Sora used her sky powers to keep them in the air long enough. As they flipped, Mimi caught sight of Izzy and Joe trapped in the Earth box. As Sora released her powers, she and Mimi...well _she_ landed. Mimi landed flat on her face, as the sight of Izzy distracted her.   
  
"Stop!" Sora exclaimed. Hilga turned around lazily.   
  
"Look around," Hilga replied.   
  
"Huh?" Sora looked to her right and her left and then she saw Tai. "TAI! KARI!" She went for Kari. Mimi stood up and began looking from the stone box to the watery prison that in cased her four smaller friends. "TK! IZZY!" She couldn't run either direction. Sora was obviously torn between a tough decision between Tai and Kari. Both of them activated their powers, but unfortunately Hilga was waiting.   
  
"Foolish children," she laughed coldly. Sora and Mimi began to shake and shiver. Ice began to form around and on their shoes, and it slowly crawled it's way up their legs. They tried to free themselves, they even tried using their powers, but theice was so cold that it was slowing their bodily processes and they couldn't muster up the strength to do anything with their powers.   
  
The ice had reached their waists. Sora, in desperation, exclaimed, "Let them go!"   
  
Hilga looked at her as though amazed that this girl had just told her to do something. "No."   
  
"Why do you want them?" Mimi asked. The ice crawling over her and Sora's stomachs. Tai and Izzy, who had managed to make a small hole in the Earth, watched wide eyed, unable to do anything.   
  
"No," Tai mumbled. Sora was tiring. "No." He yelled, "FIGHT SORA, FIGHT! YOU CAN DO IT!" Sora smiled at him weakly as the ice slipped over her chest and headed over her shoulders and up her neck.   
  
"Sorry Tai," she said. "I couldn't do it." The ice slipped over her mouth and face. And then she was encased. The ice thickened until it was a perfect square of ice.   
  
Tai's pupils constricted. Matt looked at him, his pupils were barely visible. He didn't move a second and then, with a look on his face very close to a mad man's, he began to struggle harder then ever against the vines, "NO! NO! YOU CAN'T! PLEASE! YOU CAN'T! FIGHT IT SORA! ACTIVATE YOUR POWERS! DO SOMETHING! PLEASE!"   
  
"How touching," Hilga said. "Since you care so much." She moved Sora beside Tai using her control of Sky and then continued, "You seem to be in so much pain. Here, let me put you into agony!" She made the vines grow thorns that punctured Matt and Tai's skin. He let out a yell of pure agony.   
  
"TAI!" Kari yelled. She pushed against the bubble she was in. She didn't understand. Kari began to cry as she saw the blood trickle down Tai's hand. TK was near hopeless as he looked at Matt, who was biting his lip as he watched his own blood fall to the ground.   
  
"Tai," she said. Her vision became blurry as the tears obscured her vision. She suddenly felt like her body was about to explode. The pain that was welling up in her heart, made her yell out in agony. The water bubble around her burst, as a huge discharge of light exploded from her body. She fell to the ground, and ran towards her brother.   
  
Hilga was in pure shock. No one had ever escaped from her bubbles. Suddenly another one burst and TK went running for Matt.   
  
"Enough!" she roared. Using Sky, she picked Kari and TK up and continued on her way.   
  
"Tai!" Kari yelled reaching down for her older brother. "Sora."   
  
"For that, your brothers will suffer more pain," Hilga said. The thorns grew slowly digging deeper into Tai and Matt's skin. They both began to cry silently against their will.   
  
"STOP!" Kari yelled. "STOP IT!" Hilga looked at her.   
  
"We'll go," TK said. "Just please don't harm our friends any more."   
  
"No Kari!" Tai yelled through his teeth. "Don't say that, I'll be fine."   
  
Kari ignored him. She was staring intently at Hilga.   
  
"Fine," she said. Hilga brought the two to her and then grabbing Kari and wrenching her head back, exposing her neck. Hilga, who had gown vampire like fangs, bit into Kari's skin. Kari gasped and slowly her eyes dulled until finally they were a boring brown. Hilga dropped her, and she lay not moving on the ground, her steady yet shallow breathing told the DigiDestined that she was just barely hanging in there.   
  
"NO!" Tai yelled.   
  
Hilga put her hands together, and then out came a jar with a lable on it. It said, _Hikari's Soul_. She turned to TK gleefully. "You next." She grabbed him before he could do anything (not that he could have anyway) and wrenched his head back in the same manner and bit him as well.   
  
"Stop TK! Stop! Now! I'm not worth it!" Matt yelled in vain. As TK's eyes dulled slowly he gasped in a small voice, "Sorry...Matt." And then he was gone. Most of his soul gone, he was completely helpless. He fell to the ground.(A/N. Imagine this scene in slow motion okay? Starting from TK falling.)   
  
"NOOOOO!" Matt yelled. "TK!" He wrenched at his hands. And when it became apparent that he could not get free, Matt dropped to his knees. "No."   
  
"Brother," came a barely audible whisper. Matt looked up as had Tai. Kari and TK's mouths were barely moving but they said, "Please don't worry. It was something we did out of choice. Please tell mom and dad that we love them. And we love you too." Hilga smiled at them wickedly. She raised their practically lifeless bodies and turned to go. Tai and Matt's heads lowered. It was over, all hope was gone.   
  
"Stop!" Matt and Tai raised their heads once more. They saw Mina and Kyoko standing their, tears running down their cheeks. Before Hilga could do anything, Mina activated her powers and froze Hilga in a block of ice.   
  
"Hurry!" Kyoko said. "Use your powers to escape. This ice won't hold her for long." Tai and Matt didn't move. Kyoko noticed, "Do it for Kari and TK's sake. This may be your chance to save their souls and them." This got to them. As if suddenly ruled by anger, Tai and Matt began to glow. Tai, a violent shade of red, and Matt a deeper blue than normal. Almost instantly the vines burst into flames. Matt's were frozen and he shattered them.   
  
"Mina, quickly, go hide," Kyoko said. Mina nodded and ran off.   
  
Tai turned to Sora, "Sora, please be okay. Please. I couldn't bare to lose both of you." But Sora, being frozen, had no way to respond.   
  
Yolei and Cody, who were trapped by the ring of fire, had and idea. Yolei activated her powers and then the ground began to shake violently. A column of Earth came out of the ground and pushed her and Cody above the fire. She could hear her classmates talking amongst each other as Cody activated his powers.   
  
"Katherine was really Kari Kamiya?"   
  
"No way."   
  
"I don't believe it."   
  
"What I don't believe is the fact the Kari, TK, Willis, and Ken don't want to go back to Hilga's school. That's the best place for them."   
  
"I wouldn't want to go back either, if I found out that my teacher and headmistress was a vampire."   
  
Yolei interrupted, "She just took some of their life force. She didn't suck their blood." Suddenly, a raging blizzard began and the amount of snow put out the fire. "Nice work Cody," Yolei complimented as she grabbed him and jumped off the column down the earthy steps she just made.   
  
"Thank you," he replied. Their was a loud desperate yell as Davis fell towards the ground. Yolei had it raise up to catch him and then lower itself back into the ground. Meanwhile, Izzy and Joe, had finally formed a plan. Both activating their powers, Joe began to use his to erode away at an earthy wall, while Izzy used his to blast away large chunks of the earth. When a wall was finally gone, they slipped out of the box and Izzy ran towards Mimi.   
  
Inside the ice, Sora began to concentrate. She had gotten a headache from the cold and it only intensified as she concentrated harder and harder. And slowly, she heard the ice break up. And then....shards of ice flew everywhere as the ice block holding Sora shattered to pieces. She was swept up by an overjoyed Tai. Mimi's own ice began to break up as amany vines began snaking their way through the ice. Hers soon shattered as well.   
  
HIlga's own ice had begun to break up. Mina saw this. Kyoko noticed as well. "Get to the school pond!" The DigiDestined rounded the corner of the building just as the ice shattered revealing a large angry Hilga Riverton. She looked wildly around for Mina, but when she saw Kyoko, glowing black, and no one else, she began to laugh.   
  
"One person is all you have. Just _one_ person. One person can't stop me," she said. Kyoko ignored this and got in a fighting stance anyway. Her classmates above saw this and was amazed that she was going to be this brave. The shouted down encouraging comments:   
  
"Go get her Kyoko!"   
  
"It's all you!"   
  
"We believe in you!"   
  
"You better than she is!"   
  
"Don't listen to her taunts!"   
  
"You're the woman!"   
  
"We're backing you all the way!"   
  
"Save Kari and TK and bring them back to their family!"   
  
"Get back their souls!"   
  
"You're unstoppable!" Kyoko, took this encouragement. She felt herself grow strong with each word her classmates said.   
  
She spoke, "I may not win today...but I will get revenge FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She fired a large darkness blast, which roused cheers and whoops from her classmates.   
  
---------   
Mina and the other DigiDestined   
---------   
  
"We're going to have to work together. Starting with you Joe. When we go around to attack, you're going to have to take control of the water Hilga has around the Willis and Ken. Once you've got control, you've got to pull the water over to you and use/dispose of it however you please.   
  
"Now, we're all going to gang up her. Not the most honorable thing, but it's all we've got. So here's what I want you to do. Everyone else, while Joe is gathering the water from the bubbles is going to charge up an attack, and put all their strength into it. And then when I say now. Everyone is going to release this powerful blast okay?" They nodded. "Is everyone ready?" the nodded again.   
  
"Good," she said peeking around the corner. To see how the battle was going, "because I don't think she can hold her off much longer." Just as the words left her mouth, Kyoko was blasted into a tree. She fell with a huge shutter to the ground.   
  
---------   
Kyoko vs. Hilga Riverton   
---------   
  
Her breath heavy. She heaved herself to her feet. She had to hold off Hilga until the others were ready. And then she noticed Hilga's belt.   
  
"It's my only chance," Kyoko thought. She mustered up what she could of her strength and blasted at Hilga's midsection. Just as she had hoped, Hilga went to dodge, and the blast knocked off one of the jars. It fell, and then Hilga noticed what had happened.   
  
She looked at Kyoko, "You despicable child." She tried to catch the jar, but it hit the ground sending chards of glass everywhere, and releasing whoever's soul was in the jar. A ghostly white figure rose from the ruins of the glass.   
  
"Thank you," it said. And then flew into Kari's mouth. Kari shuttered and violently began to shake. And then her eyes shot open. She jumped out of the way of Hilga's reach, and blasted her with as much force as she could muster up. Hilga stumbled back. "Disrespectful child!" she roared. "Come here." She tried to catch her but failed and was blasted by Kyoko, thankful for the distraction Kari was causing to Hilga. But then, to Kyoko's dismay and panic, Hilga caught Kari by her hair and dragged her up close to her body.   
  
---------   
Kyoko's POV   
---------   
  
Kari struggled as Hilga made for her head and wrenched it back. She grew her vampire like fangs, and then I heard them. At first only one or two had regained their voices to say things like:   
  
"Come on Kari." Or "Fight Kari fight."   
  
And then more people joined in.   
  
"Don't let her get you Kari."   
  
"Come on, you can do it."   
  
"Don't give up hope Kari. Just fight."   
  
"Better your hair than your soul." And I could tell that the encouragement had an affect on Kari because a moment later, her eyes paled, and I thought maybe Hilga had gotten her, but then her iris disappeared completely and her eyes began to glow before her mouth opened wide and beams of white light came flooding out of her eyes and mouth. At first I thought she was losing control of her powers.   
  
But I saw the light was blinding Hilga and then when Kari looked at Hilga, she was blasted off. And then, the energy as if needing a place to go, stopped pour out of her mouth and eyes, and a moment later, giant wings made of white light spread out of back. Kari really was the prophesied one. I couldn't believe it.   
  
Hilga had been after me and Mina for the longest, but then I heard a prochey that said four would arrive, and that the dark one (Hilga) would shift her focus to them, especially the one with wings of light. But then, it was foretold that the one with the wings would also help deliver those with powers who didn't want to be in Hilga's school out of hiding because Hilga would be destroyed. It sounds cruel I know, but if you only knew the things she's done to force people into her school, most of them were powers she couldn't control and wanted too. But I wasn't so sure about Kari and those guys now.   
  
I didn't know why Hilga was after Kari's soul so much because she would give it back when she got them back to her school. It made me wonder. But, it was around this time that I had to quit day dreaming, because, Hilga had been hitting Kari with every power she had.   
  
---------   
Normal POV   
---------   
  
Kari fell out of the sky and hit the ground hard. Slowly she stood and steadied herself. Hilga was on the verge of madness. She ran towards Kari. Kari flipped over her. But, then, Hilga had an idea. She had TK's body brought to her using her powers and then she went for his neck. Kari froze.   
  
"What are you doing?" Kari asked.   
  
Hilga grinned evilly. "If you won't surrender part of your soul so that I can make sure, that our deal stands, then I'll just take his entirely. And...." There was a stillness in the air as Kari's eyes widened. Kyoko's own eyes widened as she realized what was going on.   
  
Kari dropped to her knees. "No, no. Please. No," she gasped.   
  
Kyoko ran in front of Kari with her arms spread. "STOP! There is no reason for this. Release her!"   
  
Hilga smiled wickedly. "No."   
  
Kari was gasping, "Stop...Stop...I'll go...Just please don't..."   
  
Kyoko turned around and said, "No Kari, don't give in. It's not real. You can't give in. Take back what you said now. While you still have a chance." But, Hilga flung Kyoko aside and released her hold on Kari's mind.   
  
"Will you submit to me?" Hilga asked. Kari was breathing hard.   
  
"TK," she gasped.   
  
Hilga smirked, "I'll take that as a yes." She grabbed Kari by her hair and stood her up. She pushed her head back.   
  
"Don't give up Kari. What she showed wasn't really happening. Don't let her. Please, trust me," Kyoko yelled. Kari looked as if she wasn't quite sure, but she followed what Kyoko advised her to do.   
  
Hilga shook her head sadly, "You don't get it do you?"   
  
"She snapped her fingers and TK sat up, his eyes still dull. He walked towards them.   
  
"TK!" Kari said. Kyoko blasted through a dark beam right in front of TK. He fell to the ground, not moving. Hilga growled in frustration and snarled at Kyoko, "Don't interfere. I'll get you next."   
  
Kari started to struggle again, but then with one hand Hilga held Kari's head back and held her in place. With her other hand she grabbed both of Kari's and held them. Kari tried moving her body but it didn't work. She was trapped.   
  
"NO!" Kyoko yelled. She fired a blast, but it was redirected and almost hit TK, lying on the ground.   
  
Hilga mumbled as she got closer to Kari's neck, "I shall enjoy this greatly."   
  
"Don't," Kyoko called out. But, Hilga sank her teeth into the still struggling Kari, who instantly quit struggling after that. Slowly, just like before, Kari's eyes drained of emotion and luster. They dulled until they were as dull as before. Hilga threw Kari's vegetable like body onto TK's and made a new jar for Kari's soul.   
  
Mina and Kyoko were distraught.   
  
"I should have told them to go earlier," Mina thought. "This is all my fault." But determined not to make the same mistake twice, she screamed, "NOW!" The DigiDestined and herself rocketed around the side of the building. Joe instantly glowed blue and slowly gained control over the water. Once he had it, he drew it over to himself, freeing Ken and Willis. He gathered the water into a ball in between his hands. He began to gather more water and making the ball larger.   
  
Hilga went for Willis and Ken to try and take their souls as well. But, Willis and Ken were expecting this. They both activated their powers. Willis used his powers to slow her down.   
  
"NOW!" Mina yelled. All the other DigiDestined released the attacks they had been charging up. Tai released a huge burst of flame while Matt and Mina released large ice blasts. Sora, discovered a new part of her powers and summoned illusions of herself, and they all attacked Hilga with flying kicks. Joe threw the large water ball he had been charging, at her.   
  
Cody summoned a huge blizzard around her, successfully obscuring her vision as Yolei ripped large pieces of earth up and out of the ground and smacked Hilga with them. Then, as if to make sure she couldn't move, Mimi's vines snaked up around her limbs. Izzy let a huge lightening bolt strike her while Kyoko released a large dark blast, and then as if taken over by Kari and TK's spirits, Matt and Tai began to glow a different color and released from themselves a huge gust of wind and an enormous blast of light. Hilga flew from the school, laughing at their foolish attempts because she still had their souls.   
  
"Foolish children, without their souls those two shall eventually die!" she said.   
  
Sora bit her lip. "She's right. We need their souls back."   
  
"Allow me," Kyoko said. She jumped into the air and with Sora's help stayed up long enough to blast Hilga and knock off the two jars.   
  
"NO!" Hilga roared. Mina was on the ground sprinting to get under the jars. She dived and barely caught them to the applause of her classmates. She walked them back over to the two barely conscious teens. They were mumbling, "...love...you...can't...without you..."   
  
"Here," Mina said handing TK's jar to Matt and Kari's to Tai's. Kyoko landed next to them. Matt unscrewed the lid to TK's jar and tipped it into his mouth. His spirit practically leaped into his body. And then he began to shake wildly, and spit and sputter, and then it stopped. TK's glassy eyes, slowly regained the shining, bright emotion they once had, and the intenseness of his deep ocean blue eyes returned. He sat up.   
  
"Matt," he said. They hugged, Matt's blood getting all over TK's school uniform. He looked at Matt's still bleeding wrists.   
  
"Forgot about those," Matt said. Sora used her powers to retrieve some gauze from the nurse's office. Tai then unscrewed the lid of Kari's soul and tipped it towards her mouth. Happily, her spirit slid into it and then Kari began to shake and shiver just as TK had. And then, the emotion, and exited sparkle reappeared in her eyes. A smile played across her lips as the boring brownish color returned to its normal reddish brown color. And after bandaging up Tai and Matt's wrists, the friends and pretend family, all stood and walked towards the street.   
  
Just as they had almost reached the street, they heard a voice.   
  
"Wait, Sora. I need to talk to your mother," they turned and Sora began to sweat. "Okay. I'll go home and get her. No need for that, I've already called her and left a message. She should be on her way up right now." Sora and the others froze. And then, concentrating her powers, she made and illusion of herself dressed like her mother come walking up the street. She stopped in front of the principal, and using her mind she was able to make her mother "speak."   
  
"You called?" She said.   
  
"Yes, I needed to discuss..."   
  
---------   
45 minutes later   
---------   
  
Sora stood, sweating. Her head began to spin, making her lose concentration and making the illusion disappear, but as the principal was looking away at the time, she was able to force the illusion back into existence. She was about to faint from the mental stress of keeping this up.   
  
Finally, the principal said, "Well, that will be all. Thank you."   
  
"Thank you for discussing these important matters with me," said Sora's illusion. The principal turned on his heel and walked back into the school and as soon as he was gone, Sora released her concentration and fell heavily against Tai.   
  
"I'm hungry," Davis said.   
  
"Me too," the others agreed. So it was decided that they would eat out than ago home and cook. Tai practically carried the exhausted Sora to the restaurant. Once they had all been fed and nourished, they all went home and using Sora's powers again, packed everything up for the moving trucks coming the next day. Just as everyone got ready to go to bed, Kari received a phone call.   
  
"Hello?" Kari spoke into the receiver.   
  
"Hey, Kari? It's me, Kyoko," said the voice. "I just wanted to tell you about the going away party Kei is having. It's at her house, and if you want you guys can come over to my house before hand and we'll go to the party together?"   
  
Kari smiled and said, "That sounds nice."   
  
---------   
The Next Day   
---------   
  
The next day, the DigiDestined told their teachers about their transfer, and the announcements were made to the classes, and all the people in the school showed remorse for this. And the fact that Mina and Kyoko were leaving didn't lighten the already depressing mood that hung heavily over the school that day. But that day after school, the DigiDestined went home with Mina and Kyoko and then went to the party with them too. The DigiDestined boys got kisses on the cheek from every girl and the DigiDestined females got kisses from every boy. Some people confessed their love for a certain DigiDestined; they had had feelings for since they had met them. Others loaded them down with love letters, but _everyone_ had a fun time.   
  
That night, after the party, the DigiDestined had to lug home a ton of presents (just about everyone in the grade them plus Mina and Kyoko something). And they went to their apartment, picked up their remaining bags and got on the subway. They met Mina and Kyoko there and rode to Tokyo together. Once they had settled into their new apartment, which looked very similar to the old one, Kari received another phone call. This one was from Mina.   
  
"Hey Kari," she said. "How's your new house?"   
  
"Wonderful, what about yours?" Kari replied.   
  
"The same," Mina replied. From this point on, Mina got a bit uncomfortable but she continued, "Um...Kyoko and I have been debating whether or not to tell you this but..."   
  
"Go on," Kari urged.   
  
"Well, we decided to tell you some things about Hilga," Mina replied.   
  
"Do tell," Kari said.   
  
Mina began, "Well, the first being that Hilga has no control over Light, Wind, Dark, Time, or Weather. And she is especially after you guys right now because you four possessing Light, Wind, Time, and Weather, together have a special element. And I know she will stop at _nothing_ to get you guys. She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. And I guess that's really it." Mina started to hang up but then, "Oh yes, and she has a star on her left hand."   
  
Kari interrupted, "Wait a minute, how do you know all this stuff?"   
  
Mina replied with the most shocking news Kari had heard since she found out that she would have to work in the same group as Rei, "She's my aunt."   
  
-------------------------   
  
I hope you guys enjoyed this new installment of Try, Try, Try, Again. Don't forget to review, review, review. But, before I go, I'd like to give you all a test to see how much you remember from previous chapters: Why does the star matter?   
  
ebacusta . 24 


	14. Trips that Make the Heart Grow Wings

December 1, 2004

Ebacusta: Forgive me! Please! I have an excuse. The teachers have been so god argh annoying and unfair about homework that I have barely had anytime to write. Just for the record I actually finished this chapter about three and a half weeks ago, but my dad took his time reading it and I haven't had time to upload it since he gave it back to me. I shall try to have the next chapter out faster.

Kari: Right, nobody cares about your life. What they really care about are your cats.

Ebacusta: Right! Well, for those of you who didn't/haven't/don't read You Could Save Me If You Really Wanted To, my cat had kittens four weeks ago. Well, two of them are black, and the other two are striped and look exactly like their mother! (Kawaii!) Well, one of the black one's eats a lot. The other one likes to explore and play. One of the striped ones is really shy, and the other one likes to wrestle, watch TV, and try to move the walls. Today, we took them over to my grandma's so they'll stop nursing. Mama cat is moping around. (sniff, sniff)

TK: Yes, go one.

Ebacusta: Well, I'm going to tell you what we named the kittens and I'll see if you can match them to the kitty's personality. One is named Mr. Rambunctious Man (My mom named that one. .). Another is named Little Piggy but we renamed him to Chocolate Chip. One is named ebacusta 2 because she's exactly like me. (Mini me!) And the last one's name is Reed. The mommy's name is Aya. Go ahead, guess!

Mimi: Aww. So cute. They're really soft too.

Ebacusta: By the way, concerning the quiz question, only 2 got it right and one got it semi right. Most of you didn't even try. But, congratulations to Taky Glu and GatomonandKariFan!

Everyone including reviewers: (claps)

Ebacusta: And let's extend a warm round of applause to quidditchcaptaoin14 for sorta getting it right. Yes it was on the stakes and Seadramon, but she wasn't _controlling_ them. Think back and think about what Izzy discovered in chapter 8. There's something about Hilga, that is actually very important, but it doesn't seem like most of you guys are making the necessary connections you need too.

Sora: Congrats you three! So… we'd like to thank:

**Rebel**- really! Mica is your cousin! What are the odds? See, my cousins are interested in anime, but they don't come to , even though I've tried to get them to come. And I didn't know your name was Katherine (probably because I don't know you, but still!) Hmm, concerning your question, Davis wasn't in the room. He didn't know what was going on. Only Kari, Sora, Tai, and TK remained in the front while everyone else fanned out and went to go explore the apartment. (See chapter 10- end)

**Taky Glu**- Congrats! You're correct. There were stars on the stakes that took TK, Kari, Ken, and Willis to the New World. (You even remember the name of the place they're in! Extra points!) Because of your excellent memory (you better not have cheated!) I'm willing to take any idea you have and incorporate it into this story, if it is within reasonable bounds meaning it doesn't suddenly incorporate the Tamers or something like that.

**GatomonandKariFan**- Congrats! Yes, it was on the stakes. You questions are very good ones, and I hope you'll find the answer within the story soon. Thanks again!

**Review lord**- I'm glad you like it.

**Hiakri-4-Takeru**- I know this wasn't very fast but it was because:

a) My mom wanted me to finish my other fics before school started again- (which I didn't do.) And

b) School Started.

**Racx**- I know you've written two stories. And you're only updating one! What's the deal!

**ArchSeraphimon**- Hiya! I'll try to get your suggestions in here soon.

**Tsunami-chaos**- Thank you. I know this wasn't fast at all. Gomen.

**Quidditchcaptain14**- Sort of. You're almost there, but you just need to push a little bit farther and make just a couple more connections. Then you'll see how good I really am. (wink) .

**Mica the Cat Kid** (Rebel's cousin)- Your cousin threatened me to read your fics. So tell me are they good or what? They have to be if she's threatening me like that. (smile) I know, I spread that little bit of info to all the takari fans I could find! That is so great. And now I officially hate the American version. I mean let's take a poll. Which would your rather have? TK and Kari getting together at the end or Some stupid jokes about the DigiDestined's careers you won't remember 5 minutes after watching the end of the show? I know what I'd pick. What about you? No one out ranks you huh? You might have to fight with Spirit of Virtue over there for that title?

(points to a Spirit of Virtue who's raging away quietly in a corner.) He's really not that bad most of the time. Honestly he isn't. Thank you though. I'm honored.

**Rain-witch-85**- thanks.

**RogueSummersLover**- 2 words: Chapter 8. If you reread chapter 8 you should be able to figure out some of these things.

**Mimi angel**- yeah, so, now you see what I'm talking about? Don't cry!

**Spirit of virtue**- You have been challenged as my number 1 fan by Mica the Cat Kid, do you accept this challenge of do you quit like a loser and a geek and a dork and a coward? (just kidding… or am I?)

By the way. Thank you.

**Rockie: Dying Each Second**- some one get Rockie to the hospital! Rockie's one step closer to death each second. No telling how long (s)he'll! Hurry quickly! (giggle) Anyway, reread chapter 8 and then think about the question. It should make sense. That's exactly how I feel! So sad. (sniff) I agree. It should have been a Taiora but, can't change it can you? Anyway, at least you tried unlike _some_ people. (cough) Spirit of Virtue (cough) Just kidding SoV. Well actually no I'm not. You didn't try. But still. We're still friends though. Kind of. Maybe. Possibly. (I'm kidding! We're buddies! Right?)

Ebacusta: Anyway, thank you everyone, and since I don't have anything else to say. Let's move on! You'll be happy to know that Michael has joined my opening lame speech crew. Let's give him the honor of the oh-so-fabulous-Disclaimer!

Michael: Ebacusta in no way owns Digimon, though I'm sure tons of people would have been a lot happier if she did because there would be no lame career jokes, but rather straight forward hard-core Takariness!

TK: Fic time!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 14

------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Kari," she said. "How's your new house?"

"Wonderful, what about yours?" Kari replied.

"The same," Mina replied. From this point on, Mina got a bit uncomfortable but she continued, "Um...Kyoko and I have been debating whether or not to tell you this but..."

"Go on," Kari urged.

"Well, we decided to tell you some things about Hilga," Mina replied.

"Do tell," Kari said.

Mina began, "Well, the first being that Hilga has no control over Light, Wind, Dark, Time, or Weather. And she is especially after you guys right now because you four possessing Light, Wind, Time, and Weather, together have a special element. And I know she will stop at _nothing_ to get you guys. She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. I know she won't. She's killed before. And I guess that's really it." Mina started to hang up but then, "Oh yes, and she has a star on her left hand."

Kari interrupted, "Wait a minute, how do you know all this stuff?"

Mina replied with the most shocking news Kari had heard since she found out that she would have to work in the same group as Rei, "She's my aunt."

------------------------------------------------------

Kari was silent with shock. "Kari? You there?"

"She's your _what_?" Kari finally managed to gasp.

"My aunt. Yeah, I know. It sounds awful. It's actually kind of depressing actually. I… Never mind. Well, if you don't mind, I've got to go. I'll see you later," Mina said.

"Yeah," Kari said in a somewhat subdued voice. "Sure." She couldn't belive it. Hilga was Mina's aunt? It seemed impossible. Mina hated her so much. Kari slowly out the phone back in the charger and wandered towards the door.

"Kari?" a voice asked. She looked up. It was TK. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Kari mumbled.

"You guess? You don't know if you're leaving or not?" TK asked.

Kari shook her head. "No not really."

TK frowned at her. "Do you mind if I come with you?" TK asked. She shook her head slowly from side to side. He walked towards her and together they left.

"Kari? Are you okay?" TK asked looking at her.

"Uh, yeah," Kari said quietly. "I'm fine." Why was this bothering her so much? It didn't matter whose aunt Hilga was. The fact was that Hilga was, and still is, after her and her friends. She shook her head.

"TK?" she spoke quietly still.

"Yeah?"

"Where do you think we are?" Kari asked.

"I don't know," TK said rather glumly.

"But do you think we'll get back home on time with the gate?" Kari asked.

"I hope so. Otherwise, we could have been missing for 12 years because it would be that long before we get back home," TK said.

"Or 12 minutes," Kari said.

"Yeah. Or 12 minutes," TK answered with a nod. He and Kari got on the subway and head out of the city. They just sat on the subway. They didn't know how long. They didn't have any particular place they were going. But where ever they were going, they hoped it would be better than here.

- - -

A Couple Hours Later…

- - -

"TK," Kari said finally breaking the silence. "Let's get off at the next stop." He nodded. He could tell, they were both thinking depressing thoughts. When the subway stopped, Kari and TK got off. Kari looked around and said rather vaguely, "This is Maibara Station." TK nodded and the two depressed teens headed towards the train that they would catch to the next city: Hikone. They boarded it and after a five minute ride, got off the train and left the station.

Kari sighed heavily. She looked tired, worn, and stressed. The young vibrant air about her she used to have was gone, and she looked like she hadn't had a good sleep in days.

"Kari," TK asked. "Are you okay? Have you been getting enough rest lately?"

"Me? Oh, no. I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me," Kari said. TK nodded his head slowly. It was night time by now, but they walked to the beach of Lake Biwa and collapsed in the sand. They were silent as were the streets. Kari suspected it was fairly close to midnight. They stared at the stars.

Finally, Kari spoke, "TK, do you miss Yamazaki and Rei?"

"A little, yeah," he replied. "Do you?"

"Yeah," Kari nodded. "I really miss our business." She was silent again. "Have you ever noticed how all this bad stuff happens to us?" TK nodded solemnly.

"Well sometimes," Kari began looking quite clearly exhausted, "I wonder if all of this is worth it. We're always being separated from the others, or evil people are always coming after us, and, it's gotten kind of old. Don't you ever just want to quit? Stop doing whatever it is that is making you a target?"

"Yeah, but, Kari… we can't help the fact that we were given the crests of light and hope. We can't help the way we are. So whether we choose to ignore who we are or not, is our decision. But just because we decide we don't want to acknowledge the powers and importance that we carry on our shoulders, doesn't make us less important, nor does it make us less of a target," TK said.

He looked at her. The moon had bathed them in white. "If you were going to be targeted no matter what you did, wouldn't you rather be targeted knowing what they are and what you can do to protect yourself than being targeted and being completely ignorant about why?"

"I guess," Kari said nodding and looking out over the water. "But sometimes I wish I could change destiny, you know? This is kind of hard for two teens to bare all by themselves."

"Yeah," TK agreed lying on his back. Kari laid her head on his chest and listened to his steady heart beat.

"TK, isn't this, in a way, running away?" Kari asked about an hour later.

"In a way, yeah," TK agreed.

"Well, where are going to go from here?" Kari asked.

"I don't know, but I certainly don't want to go home," TK said.

- - -

45 Minutes Later…

- - -

Kari and TK lay in the same position, eyes still open, staring at the sky. TK wrapped his arms around her.

"We'll stick together, right?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she replied. Suddenly, they heard footsteps in the sand. They sat up. A figure was walking towards them. Kari and TK didn't know whether to get up and run or to stay where they were, but their bodies seemed to have made the decision for them, since both of them were rooted to the spot.

"Excuse me," a male voice said. "Um, do you know what time it is?"

"Not really," Kari said, feeling too lethargic to look at her watch, "but it's passed midnight."

"It's two a.m.," the voice said. "Shouldn't you be at home?" TK and Kari remained silent.

"Do you not have a place to stay?" the voice persisted.

They were silent again. And then very quietly, TK said, "No."

"Were you just going to sleep on the beach?" the voice asked incredulously.

"Yes," TK said in the same manner.

"No! No, no, no!" the voice exclaimed. "I can't let you do that. Please, come stay with me. If only for tonight."

"That's okay," TK said after a minute.

"But you don't have a place to go right? And you're probably hungry. Please, I insist," the voice replied.

"We don't want to impose," Kari said so quietly, it was almost a whisper.

"It's not an imposition if I asked you to stay, now come on," the voice encouraged. The voice, which sounded masculine, continued, "Besides, you really shouldn't sleep on the beach all night. It's not healthy." The person reached down and pulled TK to his feet. TK, in turn, pulled Kari to her feet and slowly. Holding on to each other, they followed the boy back to the street.

The street was lighted, but even so, on the way there, they couldn't get a clear glimpse of the person to see what he or she looked like. The climbed up a small hill, and there was a house. They entered and took off their shoes. It was know that they got a clear glimpse of the person.

It was a boy, with white hair and bright green eyes. He had slightly tanned skin, and thin lips, which were curved in a smile. He was TK's height and he was very fit. And, he looked about their age.

"My name is Shiki, but you can call me Nick," he said.

"How does that work?" TK asked.

"I'm half American, half Japanese, so, Nick is from my first name Nicholas. Shiki is my middle name, and my last name isn't very important right now. Anyway, I'll respond to either one," he said. He slipped off his coat and hung it in a closet beside the door, and bid TK and Kari to do the same.

Once they were done, they followed Shiki into the kitchen, where he made them some tea and they all sat down around the table.

"Do you live by yourself?" Kari asked.

"No, I don't actually live here. I'm staying with my grand-parents at the moment, and in a couple days, I'm going to go see my sister," Shiki said.

"Are you sure they won't mind us staying here?" Kari asked.

"Why would they mind? They'll completely understand why I did what I did, once they know the situation you were in," Shiki said. He took a sip of tea.

"So why were you out at 2 a.m. in the morning walking the beach?" Kari asked.

"Just that. Walking. Couldn't sleep, decided to take a walk," Shiki shrugged. "So tell me," he began. "Why were you two planning to sleep on the beach? Don't you have a home to go too?"

"Yeah we have a home," TK said. "But it's in Tokyo."

"So why are you way over here without a hotel room or any place to stay?" Shiki asked.

"I dunno. It just happened," TK shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Shiki asked.

"Well," Kari said. "We got on the subway, and sat there for three hours. Finally decided to get off. Got off in Maibara. Decided to come here. Caught the subway, and ended up on the beach."

"So, you're running away from home?"

"In a sense, yeah," Kari said.

"Why? Were you abused or something like that?" Shiki asked.

"Well, when you put it like that, it's more like we're running away from our problems, back in Tokyo," TK replied. "Our family is great."

"But what was so bad that made you leave your family. Possibly the best problem solvers there is for you," Shiki said.

"It's not like we planned it," Kari said. "We just left the house. We walked aimlessly around. Let our feet guide us where they wanted to go. We ended up on a subway, which we stayed on for three hours just because we lost track of time. And headed here when we got off at Maibara."

"So you're going back in the morning?" Shiki asked.

"No," TK and Kari said together.

"So then, where exactly are you going?" Shiki asked. They shrugged.

"Anywhere but there," Kari said.

"So it _is_ the family?"

"No. It isn't the family. It's the _problems_ that we're experiencing _as_ a family," TK said.

"Oh," Shiki said, still looking quite confused.

"Never mind," Kari said. "We just don't want to go back there right now, because we'd like some alone time to think about our problems."

"Oh," Shiki said, clearly accepting this answer. "And you certainly _do_ look stressed out. And you must be tired and hungry."

"Tired? Yes. Hungry? No," TK said. Kari nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Shiki said. "You two stay here and finish your tea, and I'll go get the stuff for you to sleep on, okay?" They nodded and Shiki stood and left the room.

"He seems nice enough," Kari said. "But I feel a strange presence coming from him." TK nodded in agreement.

"So," Kari asked. "Should we call Tai and the others tonight? Or tomorrow? Or when?"

"Not tonight," TK said firmly. "Maybe tomorrow though." They finished their tea, and when they were done, Shiki came back in.

"Okay, they're ready," he said. As they walked he asked. "I didn't quite catch your names."

"Um, Katherine Yagami," Kari said. "You can call me Kay though."

"And, TK, Ishida," TK replied. "And I'm Tee for short."

"Interesting," Shiki said nodding.

"Is that a natural hair color?" Kari blurted out, staring at his spiky, wild, untamed, uncontrolled, and incredibly white hair. She blushed slightly.

"Yep," Shiki said. "It's all natural."

"I see," TK and Kari said together. "Interesting."

"What?" Shiki asked curiously.

"Well, I've just never met someone who has all white hair who isn't old," Kari said.

"Well, I've never met someone with red eyes," Shiki returned. Kari blushed. "This is the bathroom," he said pointing to a door, "and one of you can sleep in here, and the other one will have to sleep in here." He pointed to two doors right across from each other. Kari and TK nodded.

"Thank you very much," they said bowing slightly.

Shiki waved it off. "Of course. I couldn't let you sleep on the beach all night. Well, good night. Hope you have a nice rest." He walked down the hall and disappeared into another room. Kari and TK looked at each other, obviously quite reluctant to split up.

Finally, Kari said rather firmly, "I'll see you in the morning." This was partly to assure him that she'd still be there in the morning, but also assure her that he would still be there in the morning and that they would be fine throughout the night separated and they would return in the morning, looking as fresh as daisies.

"Yes," TK agreed. And they both went into separate rooms and closed the door.

- - -

The Next Morning

- - -

When they woke up, both TK and Kari shot out of bed and ran out into the hall. They looked at each other and laughed at their silliness as the other was fine and staring back at them.

"Well, I know I feel pretty stupid now," Kari said.

"Yeah," TK agreed. They both disappeared back into their rooms and took showers. Upon coming back out into their rooms, they saw clothes laying on the bed for them. Hesitantly, they put them on and walked out of their rooms. They walked cautiously down the hall.

"Did you sleep well?" Shiki asked suddenly popping his head out from behind a door. Kari yelped in surprise.

"Uh, yeah," she said after she'd calmed her heart. TK nodded.

"Well, that's good," Shiki said. They nodded. Together they all headed for the kitchen. As they passed through the living room Kari turned and saw two elderly people sitting out on a porch looking out into a beautiful garden. They were drinking tea.

"Ah," Kari said quietly. "These people must be Shiki's grandparents."

"Shiki," the woman said, "aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Oh, Nana, Pat Pat, these are my buddies, TK Ishida, and Katherine Yagami," Shiki said.

"Weren't those the kids who turned out to be Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Kamiya?" Pat Pat, his grandfather, asked. Shiki grinned.

Kari's heart sank. They'd been tricked. She and TK had been tricked. He knew who they were, and he had convinced them to stay while he called Hilga Riverton. She looked at TK. He looked just a bit more optimistic than she felt, but she could tell he was down heartened. There was no use running now. She followed Shiki glumly. Once in the kitchen, he invited them to sit down.

Finally, Kari spoke, "Why? Why did you sell us out like that?" She had to know. If she was going to be captured by Hilga because of him, she might as well know why he had tricked them.

He set some food in front of them and gave them each a cup of tea. He looked at her with his is interestingly bright eyes. "Sell you out?"

"Yes. Why did you trick us like that?" Kari asked. "You took advantage of our situation."

"Are you talking about Hilga?" Shiki asked. "Is she coming?" He looked around.

"How should we know? You were the one who told her where we were," Kari replied.

"You think I sold you out to her?" Shiki asked. He looked hurt. "I didn't sell you out. I would never do that."

"What about with a reward?" Kari asked.

"No," Shiki said. His green eyes were filled with sorrow. "Never. She's after me too you know." Kari's eyes widened with shock. "She killed my younger sister trying to get to me."

Kari's eyes widened even more and her mouth fell open in shock as well as TK's.

_She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. I know she won't. She's killed before._ The words from Mina returned to her.

"No way," Kari gasped. "You don't think she'll kill Tai and Matt do you?"

"No," TK said. "No, she'd never succeed. They have everyone else to help."

"Hey listen," Shiki said. "Has she been hounding you guys a lot lately?" Kari nodded solemnly. "Well, you two look like you could use a break, so why don't you fly to Okinawa with me?"

"What? But we can't afford plane tickets!" TK exclaimed.

"You don't have to buy any. My parents, my younger brother, and I were going to fly to Okinawa to see my _older_ sister, but my parents decided they didn't want to go, and so we have two extra tickets floating around in my family. It really wouldn't be a problem," Shiki said.

Kari and TK looked at each other uneasily. "Please," Shiki said. "Think it over." He stood up and left.

"Should we really fly all the way to Okinawa?" Kari asked.

"Why not? He invited us, and just last night we were talking about wanting to go any where but home," TK said.

"But what if Tai and the others need us?" Kari asked.

"They can take care of themselves. Tai has ten other people to help him out if he gets in a jam. He'll be fine," TK said.

"But we," Kari began.

"Look Kari," TK interrupted. "It's not like they need the Power of 13. They'll be fine with 11 people. If we should be worrying about anyone, we should be worrying about ourselves. We've only got two on our side. You and I need this vacation more than anyone. We've constantly been a target since we got here. We deserve this. We've worked hard to it. Why don't you want to take advantage of the chance?"

"But, I don't want to be _that_ far away from my brother. I just want some space," Kari said. "Besides, wouldn't it be an imposition on their family to stay with them?"

"If it was that big of an imposition, I'm sure the kid wouldn't have invited us," TK replied. "Kari, I admire your sense of justice and right and wrong. But, I really do think we've earned this."

"How?" Kari asked. "Did we earn running away? I don't even know why we left!"

"But you felt it, just like I did," TK said. "An unmistakable urge to get away. I don't know about yours, but mine wants to go farther. I want to go to a place where I can relax, and I can be left alone. Doesn't yours want that too?" She looked at him.

He could read her inside and out. That's exactly what she wanted. She wanted to breathe. "But, TK," she protested. "I can't break Tai's heart again. I already did it once. I don't need to do it again."

"Kari, listen. I know Tai, and he's a very reasonable person. Maybe not so reasonable when it comes to your safety, but, if you explain to him what you want, I know, that Tai won't have to heart to hold out for long. And I know I must be sounding terribly selfish, but really, I think you need this," TK said. "You look awful, like you haven't gotten much sleep lately. Everyone's notice, and if Tai knows this is for your benefit, he'll readily agree to it."

Kari bit her lip. She looked at him. She really wanted to go, but she was torn between breaking Tai's heart or not. Finally, she said, "Okay. But, I at least want to talk to him. Like contact him and tell him we're okay."

"Fine," TK said. They both stood up and headed to find Shiki. Instead, all they found were his grandparents.

"Do you know where Shiki went?" TK asked.

"Yes. He went down to the lake," Nana said.

"Thank you very much," Kari said. She and TK departed from the house. The scenery was beautiful. The sky was clear and serene. The sun glinted off of the lake. It was warm with the occasional breeze. The morning reflected nothing like she felt. Moody, depressed, and cold, Kari felt like moping around, or at least spreading her bad mood.

TK looked at her. "Kari, I know you're in a bad mood right now, but I really don't want you to be. That's why I think going to Okinawa will be good for you. It will give a chance to reflect, and have some time to yourself."

"I guess you're right," Kari said. They continued down the steps towards the street. "You know," Kari began changing the subject, "Shiki's grandparents certainly do have a beautiful house."

"Yeah," TK agreed. "I know! Let's go buy a camera and take some pictures. We can get it developed in Okinawa!"

"That's just what I was going to say!" Kari exclaimed. She could feel her moodiness lifting already. They jog down the stairs and cut across the grass to head for the lake. When they reached the beach, they saw lots of teenagers milling around and taking advantage of the sun.

Kari smiled, "Certainly looks like fun!"

"Yeah," TK agreed. They looked and found Shiki, standing behind an ice cream booth.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," TK replied.

"You two certainly do look less moody," Shiki noted.

Kari nodded. "That's because we are. We've decided to go with you to Okinawa."

"That's great!" Shiki said. "I'll go call my parents right now, if you'll man the stand for me."

"Sure," Kari said.

"Okay, but look summery," Shiki said.

"What do you mean?" TK asked.

"You," Shiki said to TK, "take off your shirt. And you…" he said walking behind Kari. He pulled her shirt up.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she yelled. He pulled the shirt til about halfway on her stomach, and then he tied the shirt off in the back. He zipped off the bottom of her cargo pants so they were capris.

"You keep your shirt and pants like this, and both of you take off your shoes," Shiki said. "I'll be back soon!" He ran off. Kari looked at TK puzzled, but pulled her hair back into a ponytail. TK pulled back on his hat.

"So, what do you think we're supposed to do?" Kari asked. "Advertise or just sell?" TK leaned over and examined the price list. Suddenly, they heard a scream. TK and Kari's head shot up. All they saw were a group of girls pointing wildly at something.

Kari shrugged, "Oh, probably just some –" the girls all stampeded over to them screaming "– hot…guy," she trailed off.

"I WANT A CHERRY PUSH POP!" one girl screamed.

"A GRAPE POPSICLE!"

"A VANILLA ICE CREAM BAR!"

Suddenly, they heard another yell. They looked and saw a group of guys pointing. Kari didn't hesitate to know what they were pointing at. They stamped over as well.

"SNICKERS ICE CREAM BAR!"

"STRAWBERRY FREEZE!"

"LEMON ICE!"

TK looked at Kari, "Maybe we just have to sell."

Kari smiled at him weakly. "Maybe."

- - -

Later…

- - -

Kari collapsed on the beach.

"Wow," Shiki said. "I can't believe you guys sold out in the thirty minutes I was gone!"

Kari smiled, "Yeah, it was exhausting."

"Well, my boss is going to get more from inventory, but if you guys want, you can stay and help me sell. He's going to pay you for it anyway. For selling earlier I mean," Shiki said.

"Well, yeah," TK said. "We probably could use the money."

"We'll stay," Kari said. "By the way, what did your parents say?"

"They sent the tickets with my little brother. We should have them by this afternoon because we're going to pick him up in three hours," Shiki said.

"Oh," Kari said. "That's good."

"Yeah," Shiki said. "Oh look! Here comes the boss with some more stuff!"

- - -

Three Hours Later…

- - -

Kari, Shiki, and TK all walked towards the station.

"So your brother," Kari said. "Is he anything like you?"

"No, not at all! Izumi's nothing like me!" Shiki said.

"How so?"

"For one, he has no tact," Shiki said.

"And you do?" Kari asked.

"Shut up!" They laughed. Kari noticed a souvenir shop as they approached the station.

"Hey guys," she said. "I'm gonna run in here. I'll meet you by his stop in a couple of minutes."

"Okay," they said. She waved and ran into the shop.

"Kay, certainly does seem a bit more cheery right now," Shiki said putting his hands behind his head.

TK nodded, "Yeah. But she's still not back to normal. The dark circles under her eyes are proof, that she's not been herself lately."

"What's she worrying about?" Shiki asked.

"Hilga and," TK said under his breath, "her brother," he said in a normal tone.

"Oh, well that would make anyone restless and unnerved," Shiki nodded understandingly. "Hey, I heard you guys were attacked before you switched from Sakura High."

"Yeah," TK nodded. "It was pretty bad. The entire walkway connecting the two school buildings was destroyed, and lots of the landscaping was ruined. And, short, white, and witchy back home, totally flooded the street and the gardens and stuff to stop us from running away, so they're going to have to redo the entire bottom floor of the school, as well as the streets, and all the gardens."

"Are you serious?" Shiki asked.

"Yeah," TK said. "She totally flipped."

"Did she steal your soul?" Shiki asked suddenly.

TK looked down. "Yeah."

"It feels terrible, doesn't it?"

"You mean she's taken yours before too?" TK asked surprised.

"Oh sure," Shiki said. "She totally goes crazy when it comes to capturing people so she can get more power. She totally flips out and goes straight to drastic measures, like flooding the street." They stopped in front of a terminal.

"This is it. He should be arriving any minute now," Shiki said checking his watch. "Hmmm, I wonder if I should go get him something to eat?"

"Oh, so you're a responsible brother?" TK asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I love Izumi, but sometimes, he can be pretty annoying. But, I don't want him to starve!" Shiki said. TK and him laughed.

_I guess one death was more than enough for him_, TK thought.

"So, if short, white, and witchy back home was after you, that means that you have powers," TK said. "And she's after you because you have powers she doesn't control. What are they?"

"A … Se … cret…" Shiki said.

"Fine be that way," TK said. "You'll never find out my powers."

"Dude, everyone already knows your power!"

"Man, that whomps!" TK said. They laughed again.

"So does your brother have any powers?" TK asked.

"Yeah," Shiki said. "You can ask him about them if you want, but he'll probably never shut up."

Suddenly a voice said, "Train 3102 from Maibara will be arriving in the station in 1 minute. Please step away from the tracks and steer clear for all passengers that are unloading the craft."

No sooner had the voice stopped talking then the train appeared, and pulled to a halt. People began stepping off the train.

Shiki strained to see the people coming off.

"So what's this brother of yours look like?" TK asked, looking as well.

"Ah! There he is," Shiki said. He and TK pushed through the crowd.

"Izumi!" Shiki yelled. A boy with spiky black hair and purple eyes looked up.

"Hey! Big bro!" he yelled running towards them.

"What's up?" Shiki asked after hugging him.

"Nothing much," Izumi said. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend TK," Shiki said. "TK, this is my brother Izumi."

"Nice to meet you," Izumi said holding out his hand.

"Likewise," TK said taking his hand. Suddenly Izumi's eyes turned to hearts.

"What is it?" Shiki said.

"Hey, check out that total hot girl right over there," Izumi said pointing. They all turned to see a girl with long brown hair looking around. And then she spotted them. She waved and started running towards them.

"Dude! She's coming over!" Izumi said. "Of course, then again, I don't blame her. With my dazzling charms and all, who could resist me?"

"Don't you mean _my_ dazzling charms?" Shiki said. "And besides, she's not here for you."

"TK! Shiki!" she exclaimed. "And this must be your little brother Izumi! Hi!" She leaned down a little. "My name is Katherine. But, you can call me Kay!" She smiled.

"I'm… I'm… Izumi," Izumi stammered, totally mesmerized by her crimson colored eyes. _God, she's hot_, Izumi thought. _Look at her eyes. And that smile. Uh._

"She knows that you moron. She just said that," Shiki said. Kari straightened.

"Gosh," she said. "I'd say the only difference between you two is your hair and your eyes."

"Lots of girls back home, say my eyes are beautiful," Izumi blurted.

"Because they are," Kari said. "It's not every day that you meet someone with purple eyes." Izumi blushed at the compliment.

"Izumi," Shiki said. "Where are the plane tickets?"

"Mom and Dad changed there minds. They're going to come meet us at Narita and bring the tickets then," Izumi said.

"Really?" Shiki asked. Izumi nodded.

"So Kay," TK said. "What'd you buy?"

"Cameras," Kari said.

"Ah, yeah," TK said. "For our project." They started walking.

"Project? What project?" Izumi asked.

"It's not your business," Shiki said.

"Oh, but Shi,… I just wanted to know," Izumi said. "I'd just like to know what she's –" WHAM!

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Kari asked Izumi. He had tripped and fallen flat on his face.

He sat up. "Yeah," he said.

"Did you hurt anything?" she asked.

"Yeah, my knee," Izumi said.

"Can you walk?" she asked.

"I think," he said weakly. He stood, but nearly fell back over.

"Here, let me carry you," Kari said. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt again."

"No, I'll make it," Izumi said smiling weakly.

"No, I insist!" Kari said. She knelt down, and he got on her back. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yeah," Izumi said smiling at his brother and trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"You're shameless," Shiki said.

"You're just jealous," Izumi mouthed. Shiki rolled his eyes. They walked on.

"Your hair is so soft and beautiful," Izumi said.

"Oh," Kari said, a soft red tint coming to her cheeks. "Thank you. And you're surprisingly light."

_I can't believe him. Izumi is so using his powers. He is so lame_, Shiki thought looking at the lake.

"Well thank you," Izumi said. They walked back and climbed up the stairs to Shiki's grandparents' house.

"Izumi, you're here," Nana said when they entered.

"Yes," Izumi said. "Hey Nana. Hi Pat Pat." Kari let him slide off her back.

"Well," Kari said, stretching. "TK and I are going out for a little bit. We'll be back later."

"Oh! I'll go with you!" Izumi said.

"No," Shiki said. "You're staying here."

"But Shi…" Izumi protested.

"No!" Shiki said. Kari and TK smiled as they left. It was better that Izumi didn't go with them anyway. He probably would have gotten bored and they wanted some time to themselves anyway.

"This is going to be fun," they said at the same time. They looked at each other in silence for a minute. And then burst out laughing.

- - -

The Next Morning…

- - -

Kari stretched in her bed. She yawned and rolled over. Her arm landed on something. She kept her eyes closed, but her face contorted into a frown. She felt it. It felt soft and warm. She poked it. It flinched. She poked it again. It giggled. She was about to poke it one more time when it rolled on top of her. She opened her eyes, and screamed.

- - -

TK's Bedroom

- - -

TK yawned and sat up. He got out of bed and after stretching, he headed for the bathroom. He took off his shirt and pants. He was about to pull off his boxers when a scream echoed through the house.

_KARI!_

Has Hilga gotten her?

He ran out of the bathroom and down the hall. Shiki was right behind him. They skidded to a stop in front of her room and threw open the door.

"Kay! Are you alright?" TK yelled. He sweatdropped when he saw the scene in front of him. Izumi was lying on top of her giggling. TK couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep.

"You're so soft," he said. TK looked at Shiki from the corner of his eyes. Like TK, he was only dressed in his boxers. A huge anger mark was pulsing on his head, his hand balling up into a fist.

"Like a pillow," Izumi continued. "I could lie like this forever."

"IZUMI!" Shiki yelled.

- - -

15 Minutes Later…

- - -

"Ow!" Izumi cried, clutching his head where a bandage resided. "I can't believe you hit me."

"_I_ can't believe you _actually _went and slept in Kay's bed! What is your problem?" Shiki said as he slammed pots and pans on the counter.

"I got lonely last night," Izumi said.

"Then you could have come and slept in my room!" Shiki said.

"I didn't know which room yours was. So I went in the first room I came too," Izumi said.

"But when you noticed it wasn't _me_ sleeping in the bed, why didn't you leave?" Shiki said as he threw open the refrigerator door.

"I couldn't tell, it was dark," Izumi said suppressing a grin.

"You … are SHAMLESS!" Shiki yelled.

"Such energy," Pat Pat commented as he passed by the kitchen.

Izumi cuddled up against Kari, "But Kay's so warm and soft. Just like a teddy bear."

Kari's face went scarlet. She had never shared a bed with a boy in forever, excluding the time when TK and her slept in the same bed and a couple months ago when they on the move from Hilga, but at least she knew TK. She had known Izumi for a full eight or nine hours.

"Stop it, you're making her uncomfortable," Shiki said.

"But I-" Izumi began.

"STOP IT! DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK WITH ME RIGHT NOW!" Shiki yelled. "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" Izumi moved away from Kari instantly.

"Gosh, Kay, you gave me such a scare. I thought something else had happened to you," TK said resting his head in his hand.

"Sorry," Kari said her face finally returning to its normal color. She was wearing jeans and a white tank top.

"No," Shiki interjected. "_I'm_ sorry, for my brother's conduct and for him scaring you this morning."

"Would you stop?" Izumi said.

"Apologize," Shiki said.

"Kay, I'm sorry that I slept with you last night," Izumi said. Shiki dropped the bowl he was holding. TK's face froze between a look of disgust and surprise. Kari's face went bright red again.

"What?" Izumi asked.

"DON'T MAKE IT SOUND SO WEIRD!" Shiki yelled.

- - -

Later…

- - -

"Bye Nana. Bye Pat Pat," Shiki and Izumi said. "We'll see you later." TK and Kari weren't quite sure what to say, so they settled with a nod, a bow, a wave, and a "Thank you very much for letting us stay here."

"Bye kids," Nana and Pat Pat said in unison. "Be careful." They all headed down the stairs, Shiki holding a duffel bag of clothes. As they walked toward the station Izumi inched over to Kari. He was reaching out his hands when Shiki smacked him with his bag.

"OW!" Izumi yelled.

"Don't push your luck," Shiki growled through clenched teeth. He was still angry and embarrassed about what had happened this morning. They stopped by a book store on the way and picked up a couple books, and then they headed out to the station. They bought tickets to Maibara. There they bought tickets to Narita and settled back to enjoy the ride.

- - -

Narita

- - -

They walked out of the station a couple hours later, yawning and stretching. From the station, they caught a taxi to the airport. After paying the man, they all headed inside.

"Where are we supposed to meet mom?" Shiki asked.

"By Gate 22," Izumi said. They headed out walking at a brisk pace. At one time, they stopped by a gift shop to check out what they had, buy a few snacks, cameras, books, or something like that, but then, they kept on moving. They had headed through check-in and all that.

"Where's your stuff Izumi?" Kari asked.

"Mom and Dad are bringing our things," Izumi said brightly. "So, they're dealing with the check in and all that stuff."

"Oh," Kari said. After a short walk, they made it to Gate 22, and sat down to wait. Less than five minutes later Izumi exclaimed, "There are mom and dad!" Kari and TK looked up from the books they were reading and saw a relatively young looking couple walking towards them. Shiki and Izumi got up to greet their parents. TK and Kari just thought it best to fall back and stay relatively out of sight. They didn't have their contacts or a hat on.

After some hugs and kisses, Shiki said something to his mother, and his mother punched Izumi on the head. She began talking to him fiercely. Shiki must have told on Izumi about this morning. Afterwards, Izumi pointed at Kari and the four approached them.

"I'm very sorry about my son's erratic behavior," his mother said. "He's deeply sorry about it." Izumi nodded. He had a bump on his head. "Here are the tickets. Please have a nice time. We reserved an extra room for you two, and _Izumi's going to stay in his own_ so you two can have your own privacy."

"Oh no," TK and Kari said jumping up. "You didn't have to do that. Really!"

"No, it's the least we can do after what _Izumi did_," his father said.

"Why is everyone talking about it?" Izumi asked. "What's done is done. Let's just move forward." Everyone in his family glared at him and then balled their hands into fists and punched him. He flew through the air and landed unconsciously on a group of chairs across the way.

Kari and TK went dot-eyed. "That really wasn't necessary. It's okay," Kari said.

"No, no, it was necessary. Anyway, have a fun time. This _is _okay with your parents right?" Shiki's mother said.

"We will now began boarding for group A," a voice announced.

Kari froze. Tai. She hadn't talked to Tai. Oh well, she could call him from Okinawa. "Yeah," she said firmly.

"Well, okay then. Please do have a fun time," Shiki's parents said.

"Thank you so much for this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," TK and Kari said bowing with each 'Thank you' they said.

"No, no. From what Shiki tells me, you two deserve it. Besides, it's good that someone is going to be using the seats and the tickets," his father said.

"Group B will begin boarding now," the announcer announced.

"Oh, that's you!" his mother said. "Take Izumi with you." Kari hurried over and picked him up carefully.

"He's hardly worth the effort," Shiki said slinging him over his shoulder. He and Kari got in line with TK who had been saving their spot. Suddenly Kari got an idea. She ran over to Shiki's parents and pulled them back over to Shiki, TK, and Izumi.

"Can I take a picture please?" she asked.

"No go ahead," they responded. Kari quickly handed her disposable camera off to a stranger and asked him to take their picture. He got ready. Just as he was about to take the picture. Izumi came too and putting his arm around Kari and a 'V' sign out with his fingers, he grinned for all he was worth, as did everyone else. The man took the picture and handed her camera back to him.

"Thank you very much," Kari said. They hurried to catch back up with the line.

"Tickets," the woman said. They handed them to her. As she ripped each one she said, "Interesting. A different color for each person."

"Runs in the family," Shiki said. She handed the rest of the ticket back to him and they all proceeded down the walkway that connected to the plane.

"Do you go to Okinawa often?" Kari asked.

"Since sis moved there, yeah," Shiki said. "See, she got married four summers ago, but she and he fiancé moved to Okinawa about five years ago to get settled with a job, and a house, and all that, and then they invited the whole family down to see the wedding and their house. Let's see, I think they have a newborn and a three year old daughter and a four year old son now." They stepped onto the plane.

"Wow, really?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Shiki said. "I'm an uncle and I'm only 15!"

"How old is your sister?" TK asked.

"She's 29, but don't remind her that she's turning 30 next year. She thinks she's getting old," Izumi said.

"30 is still pretty young," Kari said.

"Try telling that to her!" Izumi exclaimed. They all laughed. Shiki set his duffel bag in the compartment above, but kept his book bag. Kari sat in the window seat, and Izumi sat next to her. Shiki and TK sat across the row.

"Wow," Kari said. "I still can't believe I'm going to Okinawa!"

"Well believe it!" Izumi and Shiki said at the same time. Kari looked at them and sighed, "If I must." They all looked at each other and laughed.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I hope you liked it. I know it took me forever to get out, and it will probably take me forever to get out Part 2, but I'll try my hardest. School is a lot more stressful than I thought. Anyway, I'll try to update You Could Save Me soon. I'm just waiting for my daddy to finish proof-reading. Oh look. Here comes Chocolate Chip too. He wants to go to sleep in my arms. Awww!

ebacusta

27


	15. Not Your Average Vacation

June 1, 2005 (Six Months Later)

Ebacusta: I am soooooo sorry it took me so long to update this. I really was planning to have this done in January, really I did. But I expected after Winter Break, school would slow down. It didn't. No, it sped up. I immediately got this project that had to be done correctly so I can go on to the next grade. So, all in all, please forgive me for the extremely long and unplanned delay. I'll try to do better now that summer vacation is here.

Sora: Rightio. So now, ebacusta would like to thank to following people for leaving a review, and being very very patient with her:

**Angel-chick-Hikari123314**- Yes, somebody told me and then I watched the episode again and I was like, "Duh." But thank you. And thanks, I hope you'll come back to read the rest.

**spirit of virtue and Lady K**- Well, that could happen, but I'm actually not quite sure what's going to happen before they get back to the other world either. I _had_ a plan but the story kinds veered way of course, so I'm just seeing where things will go right now, and then I'll go from there. Thanks for the idea though. I'll consider it.

**Guest**- To be honest I have no clue what you're trying to say to me. That you don't like my story? Or you don't like a character in the story? I don't know. I'm getting mixed messages. Oh wow, never mind. I just got it. Wow, I feel really stupid now. Yes, well, anyway thanks for the review, and please forgive my stupidity. I'm kinda out of it today. Thank you again.

**RogueSummersLover**- I'm glad you liked it. Sorry this chapter wasn't out faster, but please don't give up me! I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out faster. I'm glad you liked Shiki and Izumi. You'll meet their sister in this chapter. Yeah, I guess now that you mention it, Izumi is a little like Davis. I hadn't really intended for it to turn out that way. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter.

**Rynx-Too-Genki**- Stop it! Stop it! Don't put yourself down like that. You never know until you try. Write the story, and let Digimon fans be the judge. Anyway, the new pen name is cool too. Thanks for the review.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**- Stop it! I don't hate you. I don't hate any of you… well except maybe Cloaked Fox, but he hasn't come back in a while. So anyway, my lack of updating is due to school and such. But summer vaca is here, so I'm going to try and be more frequent.

**MYKAN**- If you don't like the Takaris then why the heck are you here? Anyway, nobody is trying to kill Davis, and TK and Kari _belong_ together so stop being such a sore weirdo. Besides, it's my fic, I do what I want. And just for the record, there are more Takari stories than Dakari stories, so I think it would be easier to destroy Dakaris first. Don't you think? .

**SoV**- Er, well, hello spirit of virtue. Nice to thank you again. Anyway, SoV, please don't kill Mica or Shiki. They're very important people. And anyway, nobody fought in the last chapter. It's the calm before the storm. Don't worry. You'll find out his power soon enough. And I think the one who touched Kari was Izumi. He slept in her bed. Or maybe you're talking about Shiki's "look summery" strip down. Well, either way, just know he's not a pervert, so don't worry. Mica thinks he's beaten you. What do you think?

P.S. I haven't talked to you in forever. What's the deal ignoring me?

**Kara**- I'm glad your back. Oh, I like that part too. I'm glad you like the story. And yeah, I'd hate to have Hilga as an aunt too. Anyway, yea, it is going to take a while, which is why I need to get my rear in gear. It's approaching its two year anniversary, and I really should have 24 chapters. I'm like 10 chapters short! I'm going to try and catch up, so please support me! Keep reading and reviewing.

**Mica the Cat Kid**- Hi Mica. I actually thought it was quite funny. Er, I've only seen a few episodes of Code: Lyoko, so I might not get your story. From what I've seen, I like it. But the cool thing is, I downloaded the opening song in its original language, and I found out that Code Lyoko originated in France! How cool is that! It's a funny quote. I don't know. He's bad.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**- Again. What a pleasant surprise. As I said before, I'm not mad. I'm just really glad that you consider me a friend. I hope we can stay friends as well. I'm not going to put you up for abuse. Who do you think I am? And you didn't make me feel threatened. You made me laugh. It's okay. Smile already.

**Rain-witch-85**- He's 14. A year younger than Kari and the others. Sorry, I should have made that clearer. Thanks for the review.

**Taky Glu**- lol. I'm glad you didn't cheat. Anyway, you're not as lazy as some other people who didn't even bother to answer the question. But that's okay. I'm glad you remembered. Thanks for the review, and please keep reading the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy this.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**- Wow, three reviews in one chapter. I feel so honored. Lol. Watch where you're going. Are you okay though? You didn't injure anything when you bumped into the wall did you? Anyway, I hope you like this chapter as well.

Ebacusta: Okay, with that under my belt I would once again like to thank you for putting up with me. Don't give up on me! I know I'm way far behind, but I'm going to try my hardest to catch back up. The two year anniversary is gonna come around in a month. My goal is to have eight to ten chapters out by then. Please support me! Keep reading and reviewing.

Mimi: Now, it's time for everyone's favorite part, the disclaimer.

TK: Ebacusta doesn't own Digimon in the slightest bit. Not even with stock.

Ebacusta: Who would have been happier if I did?

Digidestined: (grumble) Not me. She's weird. Scary. If she owned us. Geez, I might go kill myself.

Ebacusta: (sarcastically) Thanks guys. (mumbling) Stupid good for nothing meanies. What do they know? This chapter is 14,980 words, so…

TK: FIC TIME!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 15

**Not Your Average Vacation**

* * *

"Do you go to Okinawa often?" Kari asked. 

"Since sis moved there, yeah," Shiki said. "See, she got married four summers ago, but she and he fiancé moved to Okinawa about five years ago to get settled with a job, and a house, and all that, and then they invited the whole family down to see the wedding and their house. Let's see, I think they have a newborn and a three year old daughter and a four year old son now." They stepped onto the plane.

"Wow, really?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Shiki said. "I'm an uncle and I'm only 15!"

"How old is your sister?" TK asked.

"She's 29, but don't remind her that she's turning 30 next year. She thinks she's getting old," Izumi said.

"30 is still pretty young," Kari said.

"Try telling that to her!" Izumi exclaimed. They all laughed. Shiki set his duffel bag in the compartment above, but kept his book bag. Kari sat in the window seat, and Izumi sat next to her. Shiki and TK sat across the row.

"Wow," Kari said. "I still can't believe I'm going to Okinawa!"

"Well believe it!" Izumi and Shiki said at the same time. Kari looked at them and sighed, "If I must." They all looked at each other and laughed.

* * *

Kari and TK stepped off the plane and gasped. "Wow, this place is so beautiful," Kari gasped looking through the airport windows. "I can't believe we're actually here." 

"Hmm, I guess now would be a good time to call Tai and the others right?" TK said. Kari nodded. Shiki handed them a phone.

"Here use mine," he said. "We've got to get to the baggage claim and get our stuff and all, so we have to keep moving at all times." Kari nodded and took the phone from him and thanking him at the same time. Shiki waved it off as the foursome began walking quickly down the hall.

Kari dialed the number of Tai's cell. "Hello?"

"Tai… it's me… Kari."

"KARI! WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" Tai yelled. "I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! IS TK WITH YOU? HILGA DIDN'T GET YOU GUYS DID SHE?"

"I'm fine," Kari said. "I'm sorry to worry you. Yes, TK's with me. Er, um, I guess we probably should have called earlier. It's just that we got caught up with things."

"Did Hilga attack you at all?" Tai asked.

"No," Kari said.

"Where are you?"

"Er, well, um, about that… you see, um… TK and I are in Okinawa," Kari said slowly.

The other end of the line was silent.

"Tai?"

"OKINAWA!" Tai yelled. "HOW DID YOU GET THERE?"

"Well, we didn't mean for it to happen that way. It's just that a couple days ago, Mina called me and told me some things about Hilga and I guess it just shocked me do much that I kind of, lost control. I just started walking. I didn't pay attention to where I was going… what I was doing…. And TK and I just left. We ended up on the subway, and eventually we got off in Maibara. So we just caught a train to Hikone…"

"Where did you stay then?" Tai asked obviously worried.

"Well, we met this boy named Shiki and he let us stay with him and his grandparents. Except, he told us that he would be going to Okinawa shortly to visit his sister but, his parents decided not to go so they had two extra tickets floating around, so he invited us along."

"So you left then?" Tai asked. Kari could hear the sadness resonating in his voice. She wondered if he was feeling replaced. It hurt her deep inside to listen to her brother sound like this.

Quickly, she added, "It's not because of you… or anybody else… it's just… I needed some space. Both TK and I did. What the way we came here, being kidnapped by flying staked and we've been on the run from Hilga for months, and all the evil digimon who tried to kill us when we were younger… we just needed some time to think… Neither of us have been ourselves lately. I don't know if you've noticed… Tai, we need this trip… So please, don't try to find us… we'll be okay… I promise."

Tai was silent. Kari hoped he didn't feel hurt by her words. She wasn't trying to hurt him. She was just telling him the truth. "It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up about it, please. That's not my intention." She really did need some space. She couldn't take it. It was closing in on her, trying to strangle her. She could feel it pressing closer and closer, and she just wanted to escape. The cloud surrounding her was deadly and she wanted to survive.

"Okay." His voice had come so silently over the phone Kari barely heard it, and for a minute, thought maybe she was hearing things. "Please be safe."

"I will big brother," Kari said. "And, er, I don't know if you really care that much, but I thought I might give you a heads up. Mina told me on the phone before I left, that Hilga has killed people before, she has a star on her left hand, and that Hilga is her aunt. I don't know, but you might be able to use that information somehow to your advantage."

"Good bye Kari."

"Bye Tai… Don't worry… we'll be back in a few weeks," she promised. "And we will be safe… very safe." Kari hung up and sighed.

"What's wrong?" TK asked.

"Tai… he sounded so sad to here that we had left," Kari said. "I wonder if we made the right decision, just leaving him like that."

TK sighed as well. "I'm sure he'll be fine." They walked through the sliding door to the baggage claim. "Probably just initial shock right?" TK spotted his bag and hoisted it off the conveyer belt.

"Who's Tai?" Izumi asked looking curiously at Kari.

"Izumi, there's your bag," Shiki said pointing. The younger boy reached over and swung it off the belt.

"Tai's my older brother," Kari said.

"Oh," Izumi said with a sigh. "I see."

"Hmm…" Kari and Shiki each grabbed their bags as it passed them, and the four of them headed for the front door of the airport.

"Hey, what's your sister like?" Kari asked turning suddenly.

"Oh, she's so cool!" Izumi said. "She's about yay tall," he said putting his hand up as fast it would go. "And she's got brown hair and green eyes. And her husband had brown hair and brown eyes. And they are so much fun."

"Really?" Kari asked. "What's her name?"

"My sister's name is Mika, and her husband's name is Yukito," Izumi said. "And their children are SO cute! Let's seem their son's name is Akira. And their daughter's name is Rina. The newborn is Eeji (AY-gee). OH! I love all of them so much. Mika gets mad because every time I come down here, I like to spoil her kids rotten."

"You certainly sound like an uncle," Kari said with a giggle.

"It's too bad he can't act like one," Shiki said.

"What do you mean?"

"He's such a bad influence on those kids. To be honest, I'm surprised Mika even lets him within a ten foot radius of her kids. I know I certainly wouldn't," Shiki replied.

"Big bro!" Izumi whined.

"Oh come now, I'm sure he's not that bad," Kari said with a smile.

"You'd be surprised," Shiki replied. They stepped outside. "Let's see… Unfortunately, my sister doesn't have any room in her house for us, so we're going to be staying in a hotel a few blocks away from her house."

"Are we catching a taxi or is your sister going to pick us up?" TK asked.

"Well actually," Shiki reminded them, "This trip is supposed to be a surprise. We didn't tell her we were coming. Another reason we're staying in a hotel. So we're going to catch a taxi to the hotel and then walk to her house."

"TAXI!" Izumi yelled sticking his hand out at the oncoming yellow car. It slowed to a stop and a man got out to help them with their bags. After putting the bags in the trunk and piling into the car, they were off. Kari and TK gazed out the window in awe watching their surroundings pass by.

"It's so beautiful," Kari gasped.

"Until the typhoons come along," Shiki said. Izumi sat playing with his phone.

"It was really hard to keep this trip a surprise from sis," Izumi said. "She asked if we were coming this year and we had to say no. But then she offered to buy the tickets for us. We had to lie and say that we had something else to do. She was really sad. I felt bad for lying to her. But the look of surprise and happiness on her face will be all worth it."

"But wasn't that a bad idea. What if, your sister goes to mainland Japan in hopes of visiting _you_? You guys will miss each other," TK said.

"She would have called if she were going to do that," Izumi said.

"What if she was planning to surprise _you_ guys? She wouldn't have called then," TK said. Izumi froze.

Kari chuckled, "I guess he didn't think of that."

"Of course he wouldn't. He doesn't think that far in advance," Shiki said.

"Oh come on, that's mean," TK said.

"Well, in any case, mom and dad are making sure she's not leaving Okinawa. We'll be okay," Shiki replied.

"As long as you're sure," TK shrugged.

"I can't wait to see sis, she'll be so surprised," Izumi said. "I really want to call her right now and yell 'Surprise!' But I won't."

Shiki smiled at Izumi, "Just a little longer Izumi."

* * *

**Tokyo**

* * *

Tai lay on the floor. 

"Tai," Mimi said, "we were gonna go out to get some ice cream and see a movie, you wanna come with us?"

"No, I think I'll stay here," Tai said. "But thanks." He heard Mimi sigh, so he added, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Go, and have a good time. And be safe."

"I'll stay with him, I don't feel like going anyway," Sora said, even though she was itching to get out of the house.

Mimi sighed again and said, "Okay. We'll be back in a couple hours, and if something happens you know how to reach us."

"Yeah," Sora said. "Have a good time." Tai listened as the other DigiDestined shuffled around getting coats and such and then left. Sora shut the door behind them. She turned around, "Tai, will you tell me what Kari said in the phone call? You sounded so down, maybe talking about it will help a little."

**:..O..:**

_Welcome to the planet  
Welcome to existence  
Everyone's here  
Everyone's here  
Everybody's watching you now  
Everybody waits for you now  
What happens next  
What happens next_

**:..O..:**

"She said 'they just got caught up in things,'" Tai said.

"Caught up in things?" Sora asked. "Like what?"

"Mina called and said some things that shocked Kari pretty bad, and TK saw her as they were leaving. She told him, and then they just left."

"Left?"

"They ended up in Hikone after the noticed they were in the Maibara Station," Tai said.

"So they just up and left?" Sora asked.

"Kari says it was an accident. I think it was something I did," Tai said.

"Tai…"

**:..O..:**

_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened before_

**:..O..:**

"What else did she say?" Sora asked. "Where are they?"

"Okinawa."

"Okinawa? How did they get there?"

"Apparently, they made a friend down there whose parents decided they didn't want to go see their daughter this year, and they gave the tickets to Kari and TK," Tai said staring dully at the screen. "She asked for us not to try and find them."

**:..O..:**

_Welcome to the fallout  
Welcome to resistance  
The tension is here  
Tension is here  
Between who you are and who you could be  
Between how it is and how it should be_

**:..O..:**

Sora suddenly understood what he meant. "Tai, she probably meant something else. What else did she say?"

"They need this vacation to clear their heads, because they haven't been themselves lately. Because so much has happened to them, both present and past. They are enduring so much, and the way they came to this world, on those stakes. The evil digimon who were always after the crests of Light and Hope. It's all my fault…" Tai mumbled.

"How is it your fault?" Sora asked.

"Because I didn't try hard enough," Tai said. "I didn't do a good enough job."

**:..O..:**

_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened_

**:..O..:**

"Job? Of what?"

"Of protecting Kari," Tai said. "Think about it, what did I do when those stakes came? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"What could you have done?"

"I could have paid more attention so that the stakes never got her in the first place. I could have done something else. I never should have gotten Hikari involved with all this digimon stuff. It put her in too much danger. I should have let her live a happy ignorant life until after all the bad guys were defeated. I should have…. I should have…. But the fact of the matter is… I've already ruined her life," Tai said.

**:..O..:**

_Maybe redemption has stories to tell  
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell  
Where can you run to escape from yourself?  
Where you gonna go?  
Where you gonna go?  
Salvation is here_

**:..O..:**

"But Tai," Sora said in a soft voice. "Do you really think that Kari would have been any less of a target if you hadn't gotten her involved? Mayotismon was still looking for her. What were you going to do? Hide her in your bedroom closet behind you drawers?"

"I could have done more to try and get her to stay out of it," Tai said. "It's my fault that she's not the happy girl she used to be. I ruined everything for her."

"Tai, do you really think that Kari isn't glad that she met Gatomon? Do you really think she ever _really _regrets the fact that she got involved with the Digital World? I think she's become a happier person. She certainly has become stronger and more independent. Maybe, she's becoming too independent to fast for you. But if you ask me, I think you're doing a wonderful job. I know you have a right to be concerned, and to be honest, I'm glad that you are. But Tai… she's 15 years old. She's growing up. I know she won't forget her roots, but she's ready to start branching out, and you should let her," Sora told him. She slid off the couch and onto the ground beside him.

**:..O..:**

_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened before_

**:..O..:**

"Sora…"

"Don't fret Tai," Sora said as she got onto her knees, and leaned over him. "She'll be okay. After all, she takes after her brother. She will face her problems with courage. And she did promise you she'd be safe didn't she?"

"Yes."

"Then she will keep her promise. I know she will," Sora said lowering her body and her head. Tai's mouth met hers and they kissed for a minute in the silent apartment. When she broke away she was smiling down at him. "You are a great person Tai. And sometimes, though you may rub someone the wrong way, they know that you are just being you. And they will clear there heads and you will be friends again. Don't worry about them. They will come back safe and sound."

Tai sat up and kissed her again. When he pulled away her eyes were shining, as her beautiful white teeth made their appearance again. "What do you say we head to the park? We can spend some time together, and we don't even have to go to a movie. The others will probably eat out, you and I can have dinner together, alone. How does that sound?"

"I look forward to it," Tai said. "And today, I'll even help you make it."

"I'm glad." And with one more kiss, the happy couple headed out the door.

* * *

Izzy and Mimi

* * *

"Izzy, is something bothering you?" Mimi asked. The two of them has split off from the rest of the group that they'd meet at the theater in an hour. 

"No. Yeah. Well, kinda," Izzy said.

"What's wrong?"

Izzy shrugged his shoulders. "This world… and our powers. I can't help but think that something isn't right. These powers had to have been aligned to us for some reason, and I can't find a pattern as to what it is. At first I thought maybe it was out crests. But no, because Joe got water, and I got Lightening, and Cody got snow. That doesn't make any sense. Then I thought it was Digimon, except, once again, Cody got snow. Ken got weather. It makes absolutely no sense."

"Didn't we get the powers we said when we were coming to enter this world?" Mimi asked.

"Exactly. That seems to be the only way they're assigned, but I know that can't be right. Viruses have programs, and they work in specific ways. A virus may be willing to adapt, but that won't change the way it works, which is why I can't help but think that some of us don't have the power we're supposed to have," Izzy said.

"Hmm, I'm afraid I don't quite get it," Mimi said after a moment of thought.

"Think about it. Matt has Ice; Joe has Water; Cody has Snow; Davis has Mist. All of those are water aligned. Cody's power could be made through Ice and Water. Davis's power is completely useless. All it does is bring water droplets together. Joe could easily do that himself. So that can't be Davis's power. There must be something else." Izzy stopped and looked at the sky in frustration. "And Sora's power. It seems so useless."

"Well, actually, it's been pretty helpful. It got us out of that other apartment and school didn't it?" Mimi said.

"That's not what I mean," Izzy said. "It's completely useless for fighting unless she's teamed up with somebody. I don't think she's got all she could have. She can't. There are some many questions… that I don't have answers for. It's all got to end somewhere, but I… I can't even find a place to begin."

"Izzy," Mimi said taking his hand in hers. He looked at her. "Izzy, you have the crest of knowledge, but, knowledge doesn't come all at once. Answers come slowly sometimes, don't they? It will make sense eventually."

"Yeah, I guess your right," Izzy said.

Mimi smiled, "Please don't let the small things frustrate you, or the big things for that matter. Answers come quicker to a calm mind than a frustrated one."

* * *

**Later**

* * *

Kari stepped into the hallway. 

"Did you like your room?" Shiki asked.

"Yes, it was beautiful," Kari agreed. "Are we going to your sister's now?"

"Yeah, if that's all right with you guys. Izumi is just dying to get there, so before he spills the beans…" Shiki trailed off.

The foursome started walking down the stairs.

"Wow, I still can't believe you get to see something this beautiful like twice a year," Kari said.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Shiki said. "But Mika and Yukito actually had a hard time fitting in here. The native people here in Okinawa don't like Japanese mainlanders. And of course, we're from like the center of the mainland, so at first everyone was cold and rude to her. But over time, once she got a job and everything, and when she had kids, the older ones started thinking of her as their daughter. And she made tons of friends."

"Wow," Kari said.

"Anyway, her husband has a pretty successful tourism business going on, so this is their house," Shiki said. Kari's jaw dropped.

"House?" Kari asked. "It looks more like a MANSION."

"Yeah, well," Izumi said.

"How can she not have space for you guys in there?"

"She's having most of her rooms remodeled so she can update the kitchen. The wiring was getting faulty and such. Water pipes leaking. So, there really wasn't a place for us."

Shiki looked around and then ran grabbed the top of the wall. Hoisting himself up he jumped over it.

"What are you doing? The gates right there," TK said.

"It's a surprise," Izumi said from the top of the wall. "We want it to be a surprise until we get to the door."

"How do you know maids won't answer the door?" TK asked and he and Kari jumped the wall as well.

"Unless she's expecting really important clients and such, she tends to answer the door herself. Or unless she's busy with work," Izumi replied. The teens walked up the winding driving, Kari and TK taking in the surrounding gardens with mouths agape.

"Close your mouths guys, it looks unattractive," Shiki grinned as they stopped on the large marble front porch.

"Even thought Mika and Yukito are rich, they aren't stuck-up at all. They're very giving people, and they're both really really nice," Izumi said. "You'll love them."

Izumi reached out to ring the door bell.

"No 'SURPRISE!' Okay. We should do something really obvious and really stupid, but not surprise," Shiki said. They all nodded as Izumi pressed the button. They heard voices, footsteps, and then the lock being undone. The door opened.

"Would you like to but some Girl Scout cookies?" the group asked at the same time.

Mika screamed. "OH MY GOD!"

"What is it?" a male asked running into the hallway.

"YOU CAME! YOU GUYS ACTUALLY CAME!" Mike screeched, grabbing Shiki and Izumi. The tears were already running down her face. "I'm so glad. I was going to feel so lonely this summer vacation if you didn't come."

"Mika," Izumi said affectionately.

"Oh, I missed you guys so much," Mika said still hugging her younger brothers as she rocked from side-to-side. Kari and TK smiled.

"Where are your bags? Where are you staying? Why didn't you tell me you were coming when I called last month? I could have had the workers speed up and finish a few of the rooms," Mika said. Mika noticed Kari and TK standing there. "Who are your friends?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise, Mika. So we could see the expression on your face when we got here," Izumi said.

"Anyway, these are our friends, Kay and Tee," Shiki said.

"Well, you certainly got me," Mika said. "Ah! Wow, you're so cute!" She instantly went over to Kari and got on her knees to hug her.

"Aww, ever since Mitsy passed away, I always wanted another one. Can I adopt you into my family?" Mika asked. Kari smiled, but her smile was only skin deep. Mika's words had stuck her.

_'Mitsy…'_

_"She killed my younger sister trying to get to me."_

_She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. I know she won't. She's killed before._

"A younger sister," Kari whispered.

"Hmm?" Mika asked as she went over to TK.

"Ah… nothing," Kari said with a wide smile. "Nothing at all."

"Oh! Where are my manners! Please, do come in," Mika said leading them all into her large house. It was decorated beautifully with marble floors and coral colored walls. There was a large chandelier in the room where Mika led them. The living room.

It had a large ornate red rug spread in the middle of the floor. On top of the large rug sat two large couches and a few fluffy chairs. In the middle of the chairs sat a glass coffee table. A few maids were already setting out snacks and tea.

"Please, sit down," Mika said. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you."

"You have a beautiful home," Kari said.

"Thank you," Mika said. Three children entered the room. One was on its knees. "These are my three children. Akira is the oldest. He's my son. Standing next to him is Rina. The middle child. And Eeji, is the baby on the floor. Rina and Akira are in a hurry to teach him to walk. They want a new playmate. But, he's doing quite well." Akira and Rina walked slowly towards the couches with Eeji following happily behind. When they all got into the area, Eeji shot over to his mother. Rina went to Izumi and Shiki, and Akira wandered over to Kari and TK. He studied them.

"Can I sit with you?" he finally asked.

Kari smiled at him. "Sure." He clambered into her lap and settled himself down. Kari smiled as he leaned against her chest. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Are mom and dad coming?" Mika asked.

"No. Something came up. They might be down a little later though," Izumi said.

"Where are you staying?"

"In a hotel a few blocks away. We knew you were remodeling your home so we didn't want to bother you. And besides, how would we surprise you if you knew we were coming. It'd be impossible," Shiki replied.

"Well, I'll tell you. This is almost as good of a surprise as the time when Yukito proposed to me. I don't think I've ever been as happy as that. And here, I am very nearly bordering that happiness too. Oh, that reminds me. There's one other person here." The door opened and a voice ran out.

"Mika! They were out of your favorite brand of ice cream so I got another!"

"Okay. Go ahead and put that away and then come in here!" Mika yelled at the new comer.

_That voice sounds familiar,_ Kari thought. A few minutes later a very familiar person walked in to the room. Kari gasped. A girl with brown hair and blue eyes entered the room. Shiki stood up with a smile on his face.

"Oh my god. I haven't seen you in forever. How are you?" he asked as he embraced the girl.

"I'm fine. How are you Shiki, dearest?" she asked.

"I'm great," Shiki said with a chuckle.

"And Izumi," she said looking past the white haired boy to look at the boy with black hair who was teaching Rina how to light a match.

"NO!" Mika yelled jumping out of her chair and grabbing the matchbox out of Izumi's hands. "DON'T TEACH THEM THAT! WHAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO BURN MY HOUSE DOWN?"

Shiki looked at Kari knowingly. Kari nodded. That was pretty bad. But, Kari was more distracted by the girl standing in front of her. While Mika started beating Izumi up, the girl said, "Hey Kari. Tai told me you guys disappeared, but I had no idea that you went to Hikone and met up with Shiki."

"Mina," Kari said. "You know Shiki?"

"Know him? Are you kidding we're like best friends. He's my best friend aside from Kei and Kyoko," Mina said.

"But how…?"

"We're cousins," Shiki explained. TK and Kari gasped as they came to the same realization.

"That means that you're…" Kari said holding a hand to her mouth.

"Yep," Shiki said with a nod, "we're related, which means Hilga is my aunt." Kari stood up so fast, she nearly dropped Akira, who had been fading into sleep.

"YOU'RE KIDDING!"

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"So Hilga killed her own niece while trying to get to her nephew?" TK said in disbelief. 

"Yeah, it's a pretty terrible thing to do isn't it?" Mina said.

"What's worse is that she didn't used to be this way," Shiki said. "Actually her favorite niece was Mitsy."

"Mitsy?"

"Yeah, my little sister's name is Mitsuki. Her nickname is Mitsy. Anyway, that was her favorite niece or nephew out of all of us. She used to take Mitsy with her everywhere she went. Mitsy was 12 when she died. About six years ago, Hilga accidentally killed someone while trying to protect us, and she drained his powers on accident. When she did that, she got some kind of rush, but she realized just what she wanted to do. She wanted to be powerful and so, she started a quest to get all the powers she didn't posses."

"Fire, Ice, Lightening, Earth, and Water are all fairly common and easy to come by. But, Wood, Snow, Mist, Sky, etc, etc, are a bit less common. The incredibly rare ones are Light, Dark, Wind, Weather, Time, and there are a few others. Light, Dark, and Time, are perhaps the rarest ones ever. Only about two or three people are born with this element every _decade_. So, of course, Hilga definitely wants to get her hands on them," Mina said.

"Hoping that she would be able to be exposed to more magical powers, Hilga started her Boarding School for the Gifted. She was able to quickly acquire the less common ones she had been looking for. But Light, Dark, and the others she had yet to find. I think she's got a single student there with control of Time or Weather. She had a couple with Light and Wind, but after she destroyed that school, their parents withdrew them from her school," Shiki said.

"If she already had light why didn't she just get her stuff from them?" Kari asked. "Instead of coming after us."

"Because," Mina said. "Every century a person is born who is completely in tune with their power. So in tune with it, he or she has the ability to borrow powers from loved ones, or those they know. The students that Hilga currently has at her school aren't people like these. They have the power, but they don't have the complete control that this person has with no training required. And the people like this have a special power when put together."

"People who are like that, have wings so to speak," Shiki said. "And the only way, Hilga can attain true power is to take those wings. That's why those without wings are of no use to her."

"Kyoko is one of the Chosen," Mina said. "She has those wings. As does Shiki. I have them too. But Kari… so do you." Kari's eyes widened. "They came out right before summer vacation when Hilga was trying to steal you soul. You have to guard those wings. If she gets them, then… there's no telling what could happen."

Shiki sighed, "Most people actually don't know about this. That's why Hilga has already managed to get the wings of Fire, Ice, Sky, Water, Lightening, Earth, Snow, Mist, and Wood. We only know because after she left her home to go start her school, we went in and checked some things out and we found some of her research about it. We can't let her get anymore."

"Does TK have wings?"

"I don't know yet," Mina said. "I can guess, but the only way to truly know is to see them. And I haven't seen his yet."

"How will she get my wings?" Kari asked.

"For her to get the wings, the owner must put them out themselves. And that normally happens when the owner is in extreme danger. Then, if she moves quickly enough she can steal there soul before they can put their wings away. Then she can kill them, and take the wings for herself," Mina said.

"As it turns out, Mitsuki had the Wings of Fire, so Hilga got those by accident," Shiki said. TK sat down on Mina's bed as Shiki walked over to the desk. He returned a minute later holding a photograph in his hands. He held it out. Kari and TK looked it over. It was a picture of four women. One with red hair, one with black hair, one with blue hair, and one with white.

"My mother," Mina said pointing to the woman with black hair. "And Shiki's." She pointed to the woman with red hair. "And as you can guess, this is Hilga." Kari almost balked. The two women looked nothing the same. The Hilga in the picture was young, beautiful, and tall with a beautiful smile and a pleasant look on her face. Her hair was long and flowing. The Hilga that Kari knew, was short, old looking, and hair kept in a tight bun at all times, and had the worst smile Kari had ever seen.

"But they look so…"

"Different?" Shiki offered. "Because they are. When she started gaining too much power, she changed completely. Which is why we ask you Kari, please help us return our aunt to the way she used to be. And maybe… just maybe, if we can get the old Hilga back quick enough, Mitsuki will be able to come back. She's dying. Please. I beg you." Izumi and Shiki both had tears in their eyes.

"Dying?" Kari asked. "I thought she was already dead."

"She's in a coma, and she's barely hanging on. Hilga only 'killed' her a year ago, but what Hilga doesn't realize is that her fire magic isn't as strong as it could be," Mina said. "And that's because the original bearer of the wings is still alive. The wings are basically her soul, they are connected so deeply to her. So, if we can get her wings back to her before she dies, she can recover. But right now Mitsuki is in hiding. Everyone had given up on her because of the current wing bearers we know of, we weren't strong enough to beat Hilga and get back Mitsuki's wings of fire. But you might be. You're the one with the wings of light."

"Please help us," Izumi begged. "Please." Kari looked down and then looked back into Shiki and Izumi's hopeful eyes.

"I don't know what I can do, but I will try my hardest," Kari said. "To help you save your family." Kari couldn't even begin to imagine what she would do if Tai were in a situation like that. She'd want help too if she knew it were available.

"Thank you," Shiki and Izumi said.

"Kari, can I speak to you for a moment?" Mina asked. "Alone?"

"Er, sure," Kari said. She looked at TK nervously but followed Mina out of the room.

In a Secluded Clearing Place in the Garden

"Where's Kyoko?" Kari asked.

"She's around. She went to the store with me but she said she had something to do and then left," Mina said.

"Is Kyoko always with you?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, we're best friends. But we're also related," Mina said.

Kari remembered the forth woman in the picture. "The woman with the blue hair?"

"Is Kyoko's mother, yes," Mina said. "We're cousins as well. It's kinda weird, that Kyoko, Shiki, and I all have wings. We're all the oldest children of our parents. It makes me wonder if Hilga had a child, if it would have been a chosen of a power." Kari and Mina were silent for a little bit.

"Why is Hilga's last name Riverton?" Kari asked.

"She was married. Actually, the person who Hilga killed who started all this mess was the person who killed her husband when he was trying to protect her. Hilga was very strong. And if she used her powers correctly, she could have beaten those, who even the strongest wouldn't even consider _trying_ to beat. But sadly, her power ended up being the thing that corrupted her. I felt sorry for her after her husband died, but I was only nine. What did I know? Hilga took it hard. She had no one. She and her husband were going to have a kid, but, Hilga had a miscarriage a few months into her pregnancy. She was torn apart," Mina said.

"What is Hilga's power?" Kari asked.

"She can absorb people's powers by touching them," Mina said.

"But sadly, those powers have morphed as she got other powers. They have changed right along with the rest of her body and now, instead of her powers being activated through her hands, she has those vampire fangs that she grows. That's how she uses her natural power now. It's a rather sickening thought," another voice interjected. Kari and Mina turned to see Kyoko standing among the trees.

"Aunt Hilga used to be a very beautiful woman. She had many who were jealous of her looks and her skills. Our mothers all came from a very powerful clan of Users. But like Mina told you, after the death of her husband, Aunt Hilga flipped, and became Hilga," Kyoko said.

"What a sad story," Kari said.

"Yes, it is," Kyoko said. "I want _Aunt_ Hilga back. And to tell you the truth, Hilga isn't her really name. She married an American, and she adopted the name Hilga so her husband's parents could call her by name easier. If you ask me though, her given name is a lot prettier."

"What is it?" Kari asked.

"Nadeshiko Unzaki," Kyoko said.

"Nadeshiko?" Kari asked. "That is a pretty name. Why doesn't she call herself that anymore."

"Because she's not herself anymore," Kyoko said.

Mina explained, "When she started absorbing so many different powers, she began to change as she grew more powerful. And she morphed into the ugly brood she is today. You saw it. Everything. Her height, her beauty. All of it disappeared and in its place we get the Hilga we see today. It's actually kind of depressing when you think about it."

Kari looked at the two cousins for a minute. They were in a far away land as they stared blankly out into space. After a few minutes, Mina spoke, "Anyway Kari, the thing I wanted to speak to you about, is you wings."

"My wings? How do you even know I have wings?" Kari asked.

"Don't you remember the wings of light you grew when you were fighting Hilga a few days ago at our old school?" Kyoko asked.

"No," Kari said shaking her head in puzzlement.

"Well, then look over here," Kyoko said. "We'll show you how to spread them, and then maybe you can spread yours."

Kari looked over and watched Mina. She hunched down slightly, and then Kari saw them. Ice forming on Mina's back. Mina grunted with effort and slightly in pain. And then suddenly, as if the barrier holding them in was gone, giant wings of ice unfolded and spread. They opened up to Kari. The wing span was about twenty feet.

"Beautiful," Kari said reaching out to touch them. The wings glittered beautifully in the sun.

"Mina's cause her a little pain to bring them out, because hers require a solid beginning. Yours and mine are a bit different than everybody else's," Kyoko said. "Observe." Kyoko bent over, and then stood. As she stood, dark black wings burst from her back. They stretched luxuriously before settling back into position. As they burst from her back, Kyoko's own hair flew up slightly. Kyoko took a minute to breathe before she turned back to Kari. "See, what I mean? No effort at all. Now you try."

"Close your eyes and concentrate. Think of your wings and your powers and then began channeling all the energy you have into that image of those wings," Mina said. Kari closed her eyes and conjured up an image of wings in her head. She thought of her powers and began trying to channel all of her energy into the image. After a few minutes of no result, Kari gave up.

"I can't do it," Kari said.

"That's all right. Unless you're in serious danger, no one can do it on the first try. Just take a rest and then try again," Kyoko said.

Kari took a few minutes of breathing, and then she closed her eyes again and thought of wings. She thought of her powers and started trying to channel all of her energy into the image. Kari could feel something warm flowing through her body. Once it had all gathered, with a burst, Kari tried to spread her wings. They spread out a little before fading.

Kari looked up exhausted.

"That's all right," Mina said. "Take another rest and then try one more time. You almost had it that time. Here's a hint though, don't try and release you energy until you feel something burst from within, and then you'll feel a surge of power."

Kari nodded and closed her eyes. She thought of her winds, and then of her powers. She began to channel all the energy she had into the image of her wings. The warmth she'd felt before was flowing faster this time. She could feel it all stacking up and piling up behind what felt like a barrier of some kind. And then when Kari thought she could take it no more, it burst and a surge of energy shot through her body. Kari burst upwards, her hair flying up as well, and in a flourish, giant white wings of light spread from her back, and arched towards the sky before spreading out.

"I… I did it," Kari said. "I did it!" She jumped up and down once before she suddenly swayed dangerously.

"Don't over do it," Mina said. "When you're not in a battle, trying to conjure your wings will take a lot out of you. During a battle you've already got a huge extra energy burst, so you don't feel it. But when you're relaxed like this, your body isn't expecting any strain from your powers, so it has no extra energy for you. Therefore, it's more tiring." Kari nodded.

"Now, to teach you how to rid yourself of your wings," Kyoko said. "Watch Mina." Kari looked at Mina. Mina closed her eyes, and her wings began folding in before sinking back into her back. Mina opened her eyes again.

"Now you try," she said.

Kari closed her eyes and began letting her feathers of light blow away in the wind.

"NO!" Kyoko shouted. Kari's eyes shot open, and she stopped letting her wings go. Kyoko jumped into the air, her wings arching, and flapping to help her collect the white feathers that danced in the wind. Once she had collected them all, Kyoko landed back on the ground and walked towards Kari.

"Don't do it that way," Kyoko said. "Each of these feathers is a packet of your energy. By letting it blow away in the wind, you are not only, a) wasting perfectly good, reusable energy, you are also b) making it so Hilga can get some of your powers. If she's got _some_ of your powers, even a little, she can track you, and start stealing them away from you little by little. When ridding yourself of your wings bring them back into you."

"Concentrate again," Mina said. "But this time, when you think of your wings, instead of thinking of them in a spread position, think of them as closing in. And start trying to pull all your energy back together again. Into you. Back inside your body. As you do this, the energy will start dispersing again."

Kari nodded and followed Mina's instructions. Closing her eyes again, she imagined her wings. When the picture became clear, she began to imagine them disappearing and folding back into her body. Kyoko and Mina gasped as Kari's beautiful white wings closed around her hiding her completely from view and then slowly faded from view. Kari opened her eyes and looked around to make sure there were no stray feathers flying around. She noticed Mina and Kyoko were staring at her with mouths open.

"Did I do it wrong?" Kari asked.

"No," Mina gasped. "You, er, well, you almost 'transformed.'"

"Transformed?"

"It's a state of mind in which the user becomes almost unstoppable, but it takes a lot of power to transform to begin with and even more to sustain it. Only very very powerful people can enter such a mode and be able to stay like it for longer than a few minutes," Kyoko said. "Even I have trouble with it."

"Ah!" Mina suddenly said. "Mika is calling us. It must be time for dinner." Kyoko closed her eyes and her wings folded themselves back into her, and the three girls headed back to the house.

"How do you know Mika is calling us?" Kari asked.

"Family connection," Mina said taping her head.

Kari smiled, "I see."

* * *

**Two Weeks Later… **

* * *

"Ah," Kari stretched by Mika's large pool. "These past two weeks have flown by so quickly."

"Yes," Mina said. "And you seem to be getting happier with each passing day."

"Yeah," Kari said. "I don't know. It's like suddenly, since you told me about everything, I just feel like I'm better equipped. Like, I can beat Hilga if she were to attack us right now." Suddenly, they heard a glass shattered. They turned around.

Izumi and Shiki were standing beside Mika, who had been holding a tray, which she'd just been holding, was on the ground. The cups on it had shattered. Yukito looked up from his newspaper. Suddenly, Mika's hair turned white, and she jumped from her spot in front of the chairs which Kyoko, Mina, and Kari had all been resting. Throwing her hands forward, Kari watched as something fell down and bounced off the shield Mika had just created. Hilga came soon after that.

With a screech, the three girls all realized what was going on and on Yukito's command, they grabbed Akira, Rina, and Eeji and dived into the house. Yukito quickly began chanting.

"What's he doing?" Kari asked.

"He's putting an incantation on the house so we will be safe," Mina said. "That's his power." Kari watched through the large glass windows, as Mika's shield threw Hilga back. Kari turned around and screamed before diving out of the way. A sword flew through the air, and passed harmlessly threw the window, before flying into Mika's outstretched hand.

"Mika's powers have grown tremendously. She is the pride and joy of our clan, and her use and control of her powers rivals our mothers, who were called the Legendary Phoenix," Shiki said. "She was no doubt able to sense Hilga's attack well before we could even see it."

Kari turned back to watch as Mika, flew forward towards Hilga. They clashed in the middle, knocking each other back. As she flew backwards, Mika swung her sword causing an energy like attack to fly from it. It hit Hilga, but she was unfazed.

"Nadeshiko, was the one who actually trained Mika the most, in terms of just using her powers. My mother taught her swordsmanship, and Mina's mom was the one who taught her how to use her defensive techniques. Shiki's mother taught her strategy's and counterattacks. As well as all the special attacks she knows. She is very well equipped for such a battle," Kyoko said. Kari gasped as a stray energy attack flew towards the window. It hit, but the window stayed in tack.

"Don't worry about it. Yukito's incantations will protect us," Izumi said. "But what we need to do is get the kids down to the safety area. If Yukito is killed, then the incantation will last but it will be considerably weaker. These kids have to be hidden. They will help carry on the Unzaki Clan." Shiki, Mina, and Kyoko, picked up the three kids.

Akira and Rina were the only two aware that there was trouble outside. Eeji was just enjoying being carted around in a hurry. The teenagers ran down stairs until they were in a basement. Shiki went up to a book case and glowed slightly. The book case slid open revealing an elevator.

"High tech," TK mumbled as they stepped into.

"This part of the house is not on a blue print. Yukito and Mika added this to the house when they bought it in case something like this happened. It's huge and was very expensive. It's like a one story apartment building, inside of a mansion. But it is really far beneath the Earth. This is so it can withstand all kinds of attacks and such," Shiki said.

The elevator doors slid open revealing a hallway with almost as much elegance as the hallway upstairs, except Kari noticed, it wasn't marble. It was well kept but not nearly as expensive looking as it was upstairs.

"Luster doesn't matter for survival," Kyoko reminded her as they all pushed out of the elevator. They walked through the living room to a special room that had a keypad on it. Shiki pressed in the code, and the door opened.

"If somebody was going to stay down here with them, then we could let them run free, but since no one is, we have to put them in this safe room. It's child proof, and it has a small bathroom, and food in a small refrigerator. There is also entertainment, and places for them to sleep. In case it takes a little longer than expected to get back to the children," Mina said as she placed Eeji in his crib and pulled up his walls. She locked him in place, before pressing her hand to the bottom of the crib. She glowed as well. And then turned around.

"What's that do?" TK asked.

"It prevents anyone who is not authorized to take him out of the crib. Unfortunately, that includes me, Kyoko, and Izumi. Shiki is the oldest next to Mika, while she trusts Izumi, she didn't want to many people to be able to access her children. So, we have to keep Shiki alive at least, so we can get to the children in case Mika or Yukito were unable to," Mina said.

"I had no idea, you had to live under such a constant fear," Kari said.

"Powers may be cool," Mina said, "but they can be dangerous. Especially with Hilga as she is." Suddenly Izumi, Mina, Kyoko, and Shiki all went rigid.

"Mika," they all gasped. And rushed out the door closely followed by Kari and TK. Stopping temporarily to but the complete lock on the children's safe hold, they all rushed into the elevator. As soon as they were back on ground floor, Mina's wings of ice sprouted from her back. Grabbing Izumi, she flew straight upwards.

"What is she doing?" TK gasped.

"Mina and Izumi have to go first," Kyoko said. "I'll show you why." She too sprouted her wings and grabbing Kari and TK she flew up as well. Passing harmlessly through the ceilings, she burst out onto the roof, where she immediately folded her wings back into herself. Kari noticed Mina had an ice shield up surrounding her and Izumi. Izumi seemed to be muttering to himself and then suddenly, he began to glow. And then, it seemed as if some kind of tornado were going on.

Papers began to fly out from everywhere, circling around them rapidly, and covering everything.

"Papers?" TK asked. She watched as Izumi suddenly, folded heavily into Mina's body. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"You'll see," Kyoko said. "He'll be fine, he just needs a few moments of rest." Suddenly, Kyoko turned and thrust her hands forward putting up a shield around the threesome. A blast ricocheted off of it. "Looks like we've got company. Watch." Kari and TK suddenly turned their attention back towards Izumi. Izumi stood up shakily and watched the roof. And then, Shiki burst out into the sunlight, wings sprouting from his back. Quickly, wings changed and separated.

"Paper?" Kari and TK asked. "What?" They watched as Shiki's now disassembled paper wings flew around and reassembled into a dragon.

"Come on!" Kyoko said. She put down her shield and ran, dragging Kari and TK with her. Mina was carrying Izumi, and they jumped onto the dragon's back.

"What's going on?" Kari asked. "Izumi are you okay?" Izumi was looking at her, his purple eyes half-open and duller looking than normal.

"Izumi, listen to me. Listen to me. Can you hear me?" Mina was asking as Shiki's dragon began to move.

"What's he doing?" TK asked.

"He's taking the battle away from here," Kyoko said. "But, Shiki can't put up a shield to protect us, and neither can Mina or I. We can't make one big enough. Right now we're sitting ducks. The only person who can is Izumi." As the dragon flew over head, Kari looked down and saw Mika leaning shakily on her husband, watching helplessly as Hilga drew back to deliver the finishing blow. Kari thought she saw blood. And then, a book she'd read once while she was in America visiting Mimi flashed through her head. "Harry Potter," she said quietly.

"NO!" she screamed. She began to glow white, and from her hands, came a blast, knocking Hilga off course, and saving Mika and Yukito. Mika looked up with an expression that seemed to be saying, _Why did you do that? You we're supposed to escape._

"Izumi," Mina was begging him, "can you hear me?" He nodded slightly. "I know this is asking a lot, but please, you have too. Can you put a shield around this dragon?" Izumi looked at her with his half-closed eyes.

"Please Izumi, I'm begging you. Try, you have to try. Please," Mina said. Izumi pushed himself out of her arms and knelt down on the dragon. He closed his eyes and began muttering. "Hurry Izumi! Hurry! Now! We need it now!" Mina exclaimed as she looked at Hilga who had turned, and upon spotting her prey had come up after them. She had thrown a blast a head of her. A shield came up, but faded away quickly.

Izumi slumped forward. Mina knelt beside him. "Please Izumi. I know you can do this. Please. Try again. Once more, I'm begging you. I believe in you!" Izumi pushed himself up on shaking arms. He began again. His breath was heavy.

"He won't be able to put it up in time," Kyoko said regarding her cousin with concern. "I'll hold her off. Izumi, please work on getting the shield up. I know you can do it."

"No, Kyoko wait!" Mina exclaimed. But it was too late. Kyoko jumped off the dragon, charging up a blast of darkness of her own and throwing it forward. Kyoko's wings spread as she fell. Hilga smiled.

"Kari, when ever you spread your wings, when you start to feel tired, or you think you are about to be defeated, or what ever, you have to get your wings back into your body. You HAVE to!" Mina exclaimed.

A yell interrupted them. Izumi yelled in pain as he forced the shield up around the dragon. "Izumi!" Mina exclaimed. She examined her cousin as his eyes began to close.

"Thank you Izumi! I will protect you. Please, rest and get better," Mina said pulling him into her. "I promise." As a blast exploded on the shield, it shook the dragon. Mina let go of Izumi to try and stabilize them, but Izumi began to roll. He rolled off the dragon and fell towards the ocean below.

"IZUMI!" Mina yelled as she jumped off the dragon after him.

"MINA!" Kari exclaimed.

"Don't worry," Shiki said. "She'll be okay. Remember Ice is her mistress and water is at her command." Kari watched as Mina's arms closed around Izumi. Suddenly, the ocean began to freeze over. Kari watched in awe.

"Oh no! Hilga's spotted them!" TK exclaimed in horror. He watched as a blast headed straight for them. Mina and Izumi landed on her ice, and instantly to protect them, ice spikes shut up forming a covering over them. Shiki landed the dragon on the ice on the ice spikes, and Izumi's shield sank down and settled around the ice cave to protect them. Shiki slipped through the small gaps in the ice. Kari and TK followed.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kari asked.

"Yes, with rest, but his shield won't last for much longer," Shiki said. As if on cue, the shield disappeared and a blast slammed into the ice spikes. They shattered. Another one was coming. Gathering all the paper in the vicinity, Shiki threw it around them. The blast made impact. As the explosion occurred, it blasted through the paper, and slammed into Shiki. He flew back into one of Mina's remaining ice spikes. He fell to the ground with a huge final shutter, and Kari noticed the blood on his shirt. Kyoko suddenly slammed hard into the ground near Kari. She was covered with cuts and brushes. Her face was covered in blood.

"Kyoko!" Kari exclaimed. She was unconscious. Kari watched helplessly as Hilga flew towards them.

"Protect Izumi!" Mina exclaimed as she grew her wings once more and flew up to meet Hilga. Greeting her with the biggest ice beam she could muster. It froze a path over the ocean until it slammed into a building on the shore, instantly freezing it in a block of ice. Hilga chuckled.

"Oh my, it seems today I've hit the jackpot," Hilga said as she examined the kids. Kari and TK were frozen with fear. "Even a few of the rare ones." Her mouth curved into a large smile. Immediately, Mina and Hilga were engaged in a fight. Mina threw up and ice shield to protect her from Hilga's blasts. But what she didn't realize was, that wasn't it. Hilga suddenly appeared behind her and blasted her from behind. Mina flew forward into the oncoming blast and was then blasted back down to earth by Hilga. She hit the ice hard. Desperately, Mina closed her wings, bringing them back into her body as she tried to get up.

Shiki was watching her with dull eyes, as was Kyoko, who had opened hers. Izumi seemed to have been able to open his as well. Before, she could even make it all the way to her knees, Hilga's final blast slammed into her body. She went skidding into Shiki. His arm fell around her limp body. Hilga smiled and turned to the TK and Kari, the last two fully awake.

Kari looked around her and looked at everyone's bodies. Beaten, battered, and bloody. Kyoko's arm was turned at a weird angle, and blood was pouring from open wounds on her legs. Mina and Shiki both appeared to be in bad shape as well. Izumi was free of cuts and brushes but was clearly exhausted from his earlier endeavors.

A resolve firmly in her mind, Kari said to TK, "Protect Izumi." And with that, she jumped up, wings spreading from her back and flew towards Hilga. Kari went spiraling into the air, making a light spiral as she did. Then holding her hand up, all the energy she had just put out, flew up into a ball in her hand. She threw it forward at Hilga. Hilga, who thought it was a measly blast that would bounce off her allowed it to hit. She went flying to the shore.

Angered by the attack, Hilga flew into the air. She blasted Kari, appearing in from many angles and directions, blasting her, as she had done with Mina. Kari flew towards the ground. She slammed into to it. Kari had never felt such intense pain before. Shakily, she got back to her feet, and aimed an attack at Hilga, firing it, but as Hilga easily dodged it and fired her own attack at Kari, Kari's wings, suddenly closed around her body.

A bright light filled the area. And then there was an explosion. When the light cleared, they saw Kari's newly sized wings spread, and she flew into the air. Her wings, now twice as big radiated with light. Before Hilga could even grimace, the wings glowed brighter, and from them, came a blast that slammed into Hilga's body. As she hit the ground, she threw a large blast of fire up at Kari. Kari swerved out of the rain, and held up her hands. Her eyes were glowing with white light.

"Transformed," Kyoko mumbled, looking up at the angel above them.

Spinning around, a bubble of light grew in between Kari's two hands. She stopped suddenly, and a ring of light needles flew from the ball. Throwing one hand down, the needles all turned and flew down. The needles slammed and stabbed into Hilga's body. She threw her other hand down. Her ball of light flew down and slammed into Hilga's now cut and battered body. As her attack made impact, a bright light filled the area again as an explosion occurred. As it cleared, Kari could see something flying up towards her. It was Hilga.

She was charging a ball of energy in her hand, and she slammed it into Kari's midsection as she passed. Kari gasped in pain, and flew back towards the ground. As she made impact, Kari heard something in her arm or shoulder crack, and an immense pain took over her body.

"Is this the end?" she wondered. She suddenly remembered, Mina's advice to fold her wings. Kari attempted too. Hilga got to her before she was able too.

"Excellent. It appears I'll be collecting one more power today, even, if I couldn't get your friends," Hilga said. The fangs grew. As she lifted Kari up, Kari suddenly felt a sensation take over her.

She was not gonna give up. No, she wouldn't let Hilga have her way. Remembering Mitsuki, Kari reached up and grabbed hold of Hilga with her good arm. Yelling as she felt the energy building, Kari suddenly, drew her hand back and slammed it into Hilga's body. Hilga yelled in pain as Kari reached into her heart, and withdrew from her what she was looking for. She could see it in her mind. She pulled her hand out of Hilga's body and withdrew a fire spirit. She put it into her own body. And then, keeping hold of Hilga she flew into the air. Curling her body up into the fetal position, she began to glow brightly.

With a mighty yell, Kari threw open her body, and a huge shockwave passed from her body. It grew, and slammed into Hilga knocking her far away. As it grew farther and farther. And then, it stopped, the area it had touched bathed in light for a minute and it faded. As did the glow of Kari's body. And Kari began to fall. She turned over and began doing a nosedive towards the water. Kyoko, Shiki, Mina, and Izumi all watched with wonderment as Kari's wings folded back into her body.

"KARI!" TK yelled. He left Izumi's side, and began running for her. A set of wings sprouted from his back as well. They glowed light blue before disappearing from view. He jumped into the air and flew towards her. His arms closed around her body, and then, his wings angled themselves, and he and Kari made impact with the water.

TK dragged himself and Kari onto the shore. He's already moved Mina, Kyoko, Izumi, and Shiki. Conjuring up his powers, a wind began to blow, and he lifted the barely conscious teens. Together, they flew towards the house. When they arrived, a woman was waiting for them. She had pink hair. As TK laid them down she exclaimed, "OH MY GOD! And I thought Mika and Yukito looked bad! Doctors, there are more out here!" she yelled.

Instantly, they were surrounded by people, who carefully and gingerly loaded them on to stretchers and charged with them into the house.

* * *

**Several Days Later

* * *

**

Kari sat up in bed. She didn't recognize the room she was in. And she didn't know why she was there, or where she was at the moment. She sat there for a few minutes, and let the memories slowly come flowing back to her. As she remembered everything that happened, Kari pushed back the covers to discover that she was bandaged in some places. She looked and noticed another bed was in the room, though it was empty and made.

She got out of bed, and made it. She noticed the pajamas she was wearing weren't hers either. Carefully, she opened the door and stepped barefoot into an extravagant hallway. She walked down the hallway to a set of stairs, and went down those as well. She heard voices and followed them into the living room. When she emerged in the living room, a sudden hush went over the room. And then everyone in it burst out into cheers and yells.

TK ran over and embraced her, and then, she was embraced by an emotional Mika. "Thank you so much for saving my family. And for saving Shiki and Izumi. I don't know how to thank you. Nothing I say can express how happy you've made me."

Next, she was surrounded by Izumi, Shiki, Kyoko, and Mina.

"Are you okay?"

"Kari, you were so cool. I didn't think it was possible. But you did it."

"I love you Kari. You're so cool. Marry me."

"Izumi, be serious! Kari, thanks a lot. For saving us and all. What you did was really awesome."

Kari looked at them all, their smiling bandaged faces. Kari noticed Kyoko's arm was in a cast and a splint.

Yukito came over, and said, "How about we slow down, and catch Ms. Kamiya up to speed eh?"

"Ms. Kamiya? You, er, know who I am?"

"Who doesn't Kari? Not only was everyone calling your name and stuff, but you sprouted wings of light out of your back," Kyoko said with a grin.

"I did, didn't I?" Kari said with a small smirk.

"Come and sit," Mina said grabbing Kari's hand and pulling her over to one of the large cushy couches. They all sat down.

"Now explain from the beginning," Yukito said.

"Kari, the battle took place a week ago. You've been asleep for an entire week. We were all really worried about you," Mina said.

"A week?"

"Yea, and you shared a room with me. You were the first and things I saw before I went to sleep," Kyoko said.

"Wait what?"

"Okay," TK said. "When Hilga blasted you down to the ground, your arm was shattered in several places at the top, near your shoulder." Kari looked and now noticed the top of a cast slightly visible around the neck of the pajamas. "Well, you tried to bring in your wings, but Hilga got to you first. She was going to take your wings, but then you, through some strange, unknown power, reached into Hilga. She yelled for a bit, and then you stopped and grabbed her with your good hand. You flew into the air and then caused this all reaching explosion."

"It was a very powerful incantation that you put around the island," Yukito said. "It's not surprising that you passed out afterwards."

"What did it do?" Kari asked, noticing that Yukito too had a cast, and Mika's face and arms were heavily bandaged.

"Hilga won't be able to approach Okinawa for a few weeks, at least, but I think it's more like a few months or so," Yukito said. "You probably won't be able to use your powers for a little while. That's such a powerful incantation, that even the most skilled person, who had trained for all there life, would have been strained to perform it. Many would probably have done more than just pass out in sleep. Which is why it is so surprising. You were able to perform that incantation with no prior training. And get out with just a week of rest."

"After that happened, Kari, you began to fall towards the ocean," Kyoko explained. "You folded your wings back in, and you de-transformed. TK, ran to get you, and then he, sprouted his own wings, and then the two of you crashed into the ocean together."

"Then," TK said, "I got everyone ashore, and using my wind, I brought them all back here. A woman with pink hair met me, and she was the one who got all the paramedics out to you."

"The woman, was Kyoko's older sister, Ryuki. She lives in Okinawa too right now. Currently, she is working as Yukito's secretary for his business, and she had come over to return something that Kyoko had left at her house, when she came to visit earlier. When she got in here, she saw the destruction and immediately came inside, where Yukito and I were. She called the paramedics, and they got everyone fixed up," Mika said.

"We left the kids in the safe room for the total of about a day because we wanted to clean everything up and reset everything back to the place they used to know," Yukito said. "Because of your incantation, Mika and I can rest peacefully, knowing our children are protected."

"After being bandaged, we were all moved up to rooms. We ended up doubling up. Shiki, Izumi, and TK, all slept in what used to be Mina's room, and Mina, Kyoko, and Kari all shared Kyoko's room. The first one to wake up was Yukito. He waited until I awoke, and then we began cleaning everything back up, and then we went down and spent some time with the children before bringing them back up," Mika said.

"By the time we had done that, Izumi had waken," Yukito said, "and he was waiting for us by the stairs. He told us what happened against Hilga. He was surprised because normally he had more power than what he did after pulling out all Shiki's paper. I told him it took so much more because of the incantation I had put on the house. The next person to wake up TK. Because he had sprouted his wings for the first time he was very very tired."

"After that, TK and Izumi were the only ones of you who were awake for a few days. Kyoko woke up on the fourth day. Her arm has been broken in seven places. On the fifth day, Shiki came to, and joined us. Mina's icicle ended up stabbing through his arm when he slammed into it, so that will take some time to repair. And then on the sixth day, Mina came back. She is the only one who was involved in the actual fighting that escaped without any really bad injuries. She has cuts and bruises and such. And some of her internal organs were slightly damaged, but they will all heal within about two weeks. You will have to wear your cast Kari for about four months," Mika said.

"Four months?" Kari said quietly.

"'Fraid so," Yukito said. "You, obviously, came to on the seventh day. We've taken the liberty of moving all your stuff from the hotel, and Mika's parents have been notified. They agreed to notify the rest of the clan, and they are eagerly awaiting your return. From TK, we called your parents and notified them of what has happened and explained to them everything. We also said how we would cover your medical bills and such. And then we told them you'd be coming home in about a week. Your father, Tim, was very upset."

Kari's heart jerked. Tai… she had promised him that she would be safe in her journey, and what had she done? Shattered her arm. And the cast wouldn't be off before she got back to the real world. How would she explain it to her parents? And Gatomon?

"I see…" Kari said.

"Is something wrong?" Mika asked.

"No, nothing at all," Kari said. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"This doesn't even begin to make up for everything you did for my family last week. And the incantation you put on the island and such. I don't know how I can ever repay you. Paying your medical bills is just he beginning."

"But," Yukito said, "you shouldn't use your powers for at least two or three weeks because they are so weak from the spell. Over usage of your powers in your current condition could not only worsen the condition of your arm, it could also, end up killing you. Please be careful once you are back home."

Kari nodded. "I will be thank you."

"And of course, you won't be able to do any strenuous activities involving your arm. Lift no heavy objects or anything. And when you shower, the doctor has given us this special arm thing that you can put on your arm to prevent your cast from becoming wet. Once it is wet, it gets smelly, and gross, and it also becomes uncomfortable. They can become itchy and irritating. So please, when you bathe use it," Mika said.

Kari nodded again. "I will thank you."

"So now you know," Mina said.

"What?" Kari asked.

"TK has wings as well," she replied. "He sprouted them saving you. We saw them. They glowed a light blue before they disappeared when he went into the water. TK is a chosen as well."

"Is Mika a chosen? She grew wings as well," Kari said.

"Actually, she is," Kyoko said. "But her power is a bit complicated and hard to explain. I guess the best way to describe it might be like heat. She can pull out and put back heat into the things around her. Obviously, if she's putting it in, she has to get it from a source, the most likely place being the ground. From the earth."

"And Shiki?"

"Shiki is a paper user. They are very rare as well. And in addition to that it's a very hard power to master, in addition to its restrictions. He can still use paper even if it's wet, but it doesn't stick together as easily. And of course, there's the obvious restriction that he can't use his powers without paper around. But if they are well trained, paper users can be very powerful opponents. And since Shiki is in the Unzaki Clan, you can bet that he's going to be a Legendary paper user when he grows up," Mina said.

"Oh. What Izumi?"

"Izumi has psychic powers. He can create shields and such, but really his main power is Telekinesis. I believe that's the one where he can move things with his mind. Using that power, he can fly without wings, but he can also move things. Really though, the spell he used to get Shiki's papers going isn't part of his normal powers. Recognizing that Shiki wouldn't be able to carry papers with him every where he went, Yukito taught Izumi some incantations to draw papers from where ever is near and bring them here. But the spell also makes it so they can pass through things harmlessly, like a ghost," Kyoko said.

"And you already know about Kyoko and Mina's powers," Mika said. Kari nodded.

Izumi sat, bouncing Akira on his knee. "Well the good news is that everyone is all right. And of course the biggest cheer goes out to Kari for saving everyone." He said to Akira, "No that's not how you do it. You take the phone like _this_. And _this_ is the number for child services."

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL?" Mika yelled jumping out of her chair and kicking Izumi off the couch as she grabbed her child.

"I'm teaching him how to use the phone," Izumi said from the ground. "So in case of child abuse, he'll know who to call."

"Grrrrr!" Mika yelled as she kicked at him down on the ground. They all laughed.

"I'm just glad that everything is back to normal," Shiki said. A big smile on his face. "Back to how it should be."

Something was bothering Kari though. _"…through some strange, unknown power, reached into Hilga. She yelled for a bit, and then you stopped…"_

Strange unknown power… Kari had seen something when she saw Hilga's fangs. And she had capitalized on it. She felt a strange sensation well up in her chest, and she threw her arm into Hilga's body. And she had reached into it. Of course, she hadn't punched a hole in Hilga's stomach. No, of course not… She touched Hilga's stomach and she had seen an explosion of blue light.

Kari had reached through it, because there was something glowing, that she had to reach. And then the object had become strikingly clear. A small flame dancing wildly in the darkness. And she had strained and stretched to reach it. And then she had taken it and grabbed it, and pulled back. The flame spirit. And she had stored inside her body for some important reason. Why? Suddenly, she remembered.

"I've got it," Kari said.

"Got what?" TK asked.

"I've got Mitsuki's wings," Kari said.

Everyone looked shocked. Finally Shiki spoke, "Kari, I know you want to help, but you hit your head pretty hard on the ice."

"No, I've got it. I know I do. I grabbed it," Kari said, "when I reached into Hilga's soul."

"Her soul?"

"Yes, that's when I reached into her and she was yelling. I took the wings of fire from her, and I put them inside myself. So I could hold them safely for Mitsuki."

"Kari, it's okay. We can get them later."

"I'm not lying, I can show you." She stood up and began to concentrate.

"No," Yukito said standing up. "You musn't. Pulling out your wings will put too much of a strain on your body. It's okay, you can show them to us later."

Kari wasn't listening. She pictured what Mitsuki's wings must look like, and she began to push an unfamiliar energy toward them. And they became brighter and brighter. She could feel the energy building up. And she imagined them spreading. The wall broke, and the energy burst through her veins. Everyone gasped as brilliant wings of fire spread from Kari's back.

"Mitsuki's… wings," Mika gasped quietly.

"See, I told you, I have them. I can give her back her spirit," Kari said. Mika began to cry in shock. Shiki and Izumi were speechless.

Finally, Izumi croaked, "You can save… Mitsuki?"

"Yes, I have her wings. I can bring her back out of her coma," Kari said enthusiastically.

"She'll… be with us… again?" Izumi asked tears beginning to run down his own face.

"Yes, this is no joke. She will be back with her family again!"

Shiki's own eyes filled with tears. "You did it… Kari… how can I ever thank you… for bringing hope back to our hearts. And bringing Mitsuki backed to us."

Kari suddenly began to waver.

"Close the wings!" Yukito said. Kari began to close them. As soon as they were gone she collapsed, her breath heavy and labored. "I told her not to use her powers. Spreading those wings put too much stress on her body, and it is still too weak. Somebody go call the doctor. Shiki help me carry her back upstairs. We have to be very gentle." TK grabbed the phone from Mika and began to dial.

Mina and Kyoko stood there tears on their face, as well as smiles. "Girl, I tell you… You can do it all," Mina said.

"You are one amazing chick," Kyoko said. "Strong in every way imaginable. I wish I could be more like you. You carry on regardless of the things that happen to you. They just make you stronger with each passing incident, and you become smarter as well. You truly are… a child of the light."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

What did every one think? I know it took me a while but was it worth the wait? Like I said earlier, I'm about ten chapters behind where I should be as this story approaches its two year anniversary on July 12. I may try and have a special update up then. But, please leave me a review. I will be trying very hard to catch back up, and try and put up least five more chapters before July rolls around. Preferably ten. I may end up putting some of my other stories on hold to do this though, so, please understand.

Anyway, in more exciting news… this chapter pushes me up to **100,000 WORDS**! I made it. This was one of the first goals I set for myself when I started writing on this site and I have achieved it. Please support me, as I push forward for the next BIG landmark of 500,000 words. This story will be pretty big, so, I think I might be able to make it with this one. And if not, maybe another. I will try though.

Leave reviews to encourage me with my two new goals (10 chapters by July and 500,000 words in a fanfic.) Thank all of you who have stuck with me thus far. I truly appreciate it. You guys are my life support and I love all of you so much (yes, including you _StarGazingMoonPrincess_). You are all so kind and very very cool. I am very honored that you find my story truly interesting.

I will try to keep it real and new. Even though Digimon isn't very real to begin with, and I have strayed further off my path by adding in this New World. I know have a very important question I need you to answer for me:  
**Should the DigiDestined completely finish everything in this world (which may take about a year or two) or should they go back to the Digital World first?**

I need the question so I can go on with my planning to get this story headed back in the direction it is supposed to be going. Anyway, the song in this chapter was _Switchfoot_'s _I Dare You To Move_. I don't own it. All rights belong to Switchfoot.

I will update ASAP. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by either Sunday or Monday. I will try my hardest! Cheer for me from the sidelines! Sorry about missing words, grammar, misspellings and such.

_Arigato minna-san!_

ebacusta


	16. Que Sera Sera

June 6, 2005

Ebacusta: Thank you everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry if I was not able to get this chapter out on time, but, I hurt my wrist this week-end and it has slowed my typing speed tremendously.

Mimi: Ebacusta would like to thank:

**Kara**- Thanks for the review. I'm glad you got into it. I hope you get into this one too.

**supertakari-** I'm glad you like this as well. Please come back for the rest.

**TakyGlu**- I'm glad that you liked it as well. It took quite a while to complete. Obviously, because it took me six months. But, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this just as much.

**hopes chaos**- Thanks for the compliment and for reading. Please disregard the beginning of the story. It is badly written. You can definitely see how my writing has matured over these two years, eh? Anyway, please enjoy this chapter as well.

Ebacusta: Thanks for the reviews. I'm not quite sure where this chapter will head either, but we will see. Anyway guys, **my two year anniversary for being a member on this site** is coming up on June 8th. For those of you who have been with me the whole way through, and thought the story was great even though the beginning was written VERY badly, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Please continue to stick with me, and read my other stories as they come out.

DigiDestined: Congratulations! We're surprised you've lasted this long! Can't believe nobody has killed you yet! This really is a cause for jubilation!

Ebacusta: Grrrr… you guys are so mean. See if I let you win against Hilga next time! Jerks!

DigiDestined: Whatever.

Ebacusta: Anyway, I would also like to tell you, I am perfectly aware of how many bad spelling errors there were in the last chapter. I will try to update a less bad spelling riddled company sometime after I get up my ten extra chapters.

TK: Fic time!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 16

**Que Sera Sera**

* * *

Kari wasn't listening. She pictured what Mitsuki's wings must look like, and she began to push an unfamiliar energy toward them. And they became brighter and brighter. She could feel the energy building up. And she imagined them spreading. The wall broke, and the energy burst through her veins. Everyone gasped as brilliant wings of fire spread from Kari's back. 

"Mitsuki's… wings," Mika gasped quietly.

"See, I told you, I have them. I can give her back her spirit," Kari said. Mika began to cry in shock. Shiki and Izumi were speechless.

Finally, Izumi croaked, "You can save… Mitsuki?"

"Yes, I have her wings. I can bring her back out of her coma," Kari said enthusiastically.

"She'll… be with us… again?" Izumi asked tears beginning to run down his own face.

"Yes, this is no joke. She will be back with her family again!"

Shiki's own eyes filled with tears. "You did it… Kari… how can I ever thank you… for bringing hope back to our hearts. And bringing Mitsuki backed to us."

Kari suddenly began to waver.

"Close the wings!" Yukito said. Kari began to close them. As soon as they were gone she collapsed, her breath heavy and labored. "I told her not to use her powers. Spreading those wings put too much stress on her body, and it is still too weak. Somebody go call the doctor. Shiki help me carry her back upstairs. We have to be very gentle." TK grabbed the phone from Mika and began to dial.

Mina and Kyoko stood there tears on their face, as well as smiles. "Girl, I tell you… You can do it all," Mina said.

"You are one amazing chick," Kyoko said. "Strong in every way imaginable. I wish I could be more like you. You carry on regardless of the things that happen to you. They just make you stronger with each passing incident, and you become smarter as well. You truly are… a child of the light."

* * *

Yolei opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched and looked around the room she shared with Sora, Mimi, and usually Kari. Sora and Mimi were both still asleep. Standing up and quietly exiting the room, Yolei walked pass the boys room and into the kitchen. She looked at the clock. 5:52 a.m. Scrawling a note, Yolei left the house and headed for the park. Upon arriving there, she stopped and looked up at the stars. 

"Yolei?"

Yolei had to suppress a scream as the voice startled her. She whirled around.

"Willis… what are you doing up this early in the morning?" Yolei asked as she tried to calm her beating heart.

"I should ask you the same question," Willis said. He turned back and walked a few feet away from her. He looked up at the sky. "I couldn't sleep."

"Ah, me neither," Yolei said. They were silent for a few minutes and then Willis spoke.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be the Child of Light or Hope?" Willis asked.

"Well, er, um, I, er, can't say that I do," Yolei said as she squinted at him through her glasses. "Do you?" Yolei could only imagine how stupid she sounded, though she really didn't care to depress herself on such a beautiful night, or morning.

"Well, not normally," Willis said, "but, I was just thinking about it. Wondering if TK and Kari are looking up at the same sky that I am."

"I'm sure they are Willis, if they are awake right now," Yolei said. "Um, can you tell if they're awake right now or something?" Yolei felt like slamming her head against a tree. Fortunately, Willis laughed.

"No, I can't," he said. "But, what must it be like for Kari and TK to be the center target all the time. Since Miss Mika called, it made me start to think. Notice how Hilga has found and attacked them, but not us. Almost as if there is some really specific she is after."

"Well, I'm sure she is after something really specific Willis. In fact I know she is. She's after you, Ken, Kari, and TK," Yolei said.

"No, more than just that. Something else. Something that goes deeper than our powers," Willis said, "but at the same time how everything to do with them." Yolei pondered this a minute.

"You mean like some kind of secret power or something?" Yolei offered.

"Yeah," Willis said. "Something like that. But, I don't know what it is. Or rather I should say, I can't figure out what it is."

"But, Willis, does it really matter that much right now? I mean, yes, it matters, because it concerns us, or at least you, anyway, but, I mean, as long as Hilga doesn't get _anything_ from you, we'll be all right. I don't think anyone knows all the back story of Hilga's life and all, and why she decided she wants to attack random children, but… that doesn't change the fact she still can't have our power, right?"

"That is true, Yolei, but, I just would like to know. Maybe if I know what she is looking for, I can be better prepared to stop it," Willis said. "Just maybe."

"But you know Willis," Yolei said, "you don't have to fight alone. You have us. And of course we will fight you."

Willis suddenly turned to her, a smile on his lips, his face half shrouded in shadow. "You're right Yolei. If there is one thing that Digimon and you have taught me, it is that I don't have to fight alone. I have friends who are willing to help. Thanks Yolei." He walked over and gave her light peck on the cheek.

"Shall I walk you back to the apartment?" Willis offered.

"Oh! Thank you. That would be great," Yolei said.

"Lead the way Princess," Willis said gesturing with his arm. Yolei began to walk, with Willis walking beside her.

...:II:...:II:...:II:...:II:...

**Okinawa**

...:II:...:II:...:II:...:II:...

TK sat down on the roof looking up at the sky. It had been a while since he had been able to go to the top of a building and look at the stars. TK smiled to himself.

"This scene is so beautiful," TK thought. "Like Kari…" Kari now on his mind, he began to think about there relationship. He remembered the feelings of awkwardness they had shared back in the real world, and yet, how strangely, it was now gone. Had something changed between them? No not really, so what was it?

The obvious change was that they had switched worlds. So was that it. Did this switch to this world somehow make him forget his shyness about Kari and they suddenly became boyfriend and girlfriend? Were they even boyfriend and girlfriend? It confused him now that he thought about.

"I would like to be," TK said. "But… maybe I am rushing things. There is too much going on to think about romance, and that whole intimate crush crap from Patamon was just that. A load of crap. I mean come on, who has _types_ of crushes? Jeez. What loser wasted his life away thinking about something like that?" TK stopped. That didn't really sound like something he would say.

"Anyway, I just have a crush on her. Not an intimate crush or any of that other stuff Patamon told me, just a normal crush. The only thing is I already know everything there is to know about her. Well not _everything_ but most things. And any case, why rush a good thing. I am happy either way. Friends or more. I will just stop thinking about it for a while."

"Are you busy, or can I join you?" a familiar voice asked. TK looked up to see Kyoko standing beside him.

"Yes, please, do sit down," TK said. "I was just admiring the stars and thinking."

"About Kari?" Kyoko offered as she sat.

"Yeah," TK said.

"Are you guys having a problem or something?" Kyoko said.

"No, not particularly," TK said. "I am, just thinking that maybe I am too anxious about our relationship. That maybe I should slow it down some and just be thankful for what I have."

"So what are you guys then? An item, or are you just friends?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm not really sure," TK said. "But, either way it doesn't really matter. I believe right now we are just really good friends. And I'm not going to rush that. Really good friends is satisfying as well. And what will happen will happen. What won't, won't. What is that? Que sera sera? Well either way, I am fine staying friends right now."

"Why was something wrong before?"

"Things were really awkward between us. And I don't really want that. I figure it will probably take a while to finish growing into this romance thing, right? So we shouldn't try and push it. We will be okay either way," TK said.

"Well it sounds like you've got everything all worked out, that you don't need my help," Kyoko said.

"Kyoko… do you have a boyfriend?" TK asked.

"Me? Well, I suppose I _could_ but, I don't think any boy has really ever shown interest in me," Kyoko said.

"Are you sure you were paying attention?" a third voice added. The two looked up. Mina was standing on the roof as well. She walked carefully over to them.

"About a billion boys a day check you out Kyoko," Mina said. "What are you talking about with this 'nobody shows interest in me' crap?"

"I guess I don't really pay attention. I have never really felt a need to have a boy friend. I mean sure, I have friends who are boys, but I don't look at them like that. I don't know if they look at me like possible girlfriend material," Kyoko said.

"DO you think you will get married, Kyoko?" TK asked.

"Get married? Well, er, of course I will, to carry on the Unzaki clan –" Kyoko began. TK cut her off. "I meant for love."

"Well, er, yea, I assume that I will find someone like Mika did and we will get married, but I er, don't really know. I know I have to so I can carry on my clan, but, er…"

"If you weren't a part of the Unzaki clan, would you get married. Would you even think about it?"

"I don't know. Probably not. At least not right now. I rarely pay attention to stuff such as love. As far as I am concerned, I have bigger things to worry about like Mitsuki, and Hilga. But, if I were just a normal high school student with no powers, then, probably. I would think about romance more often out of lack of things to do. But whether I would have time for it would be a different story," Kyoko said.

"What about you Mina?" TK asked.

"Of course I would get married! I think about it sometimes. I mean I am not obsessed with it or anything, but I imagine I will marry a wonderful, powerful, kind person like Yukito. And that we will have beautiful children," Mina said. "Unzaki clan or not. But, erm, why are you asking?"

"I was just thinking about the future," TK said. "What is in store for me? I wonder if I will get married at all and have kids? Or if I will even live passed this age of 15. I don't know. My life is so different than most people, that even you couldn't understand. Only twelve others know what it is like to be me, and even then, sometimes, are circumstances are different. To be honest only one other person knows how I _truly_ feel."

"And that one person is Kari?" Mina asked.

"Yes. We have known each other since we were little little kids. We grew up together, and we know everything about each other, and we know what each has been through," TK said. "But sometimes I wonder… is it all worth it?"

"TK," Kyoko said," if you ask me, I think you are thinking about the matter way to much. Like you said Que sera sera. What will happen, will happen, and what won't., won't and we can't do anything to stop that. Therefore, I think that you should just lean back and go with the flow. And when the flow is starting to go a direction you don't want to go in, that's when you start to fight. Why tire yourself out before the big fight comes? It is a completely pointless exercise. So, do you see what I am saying?"

TK nodded. "Yeah, I think I do. You're right. I shouldn't worry. Que sera sera. Thanks Kyoko and Mina."

"The future has worries of its own. Don't add them to your worries of today," Mina said.

TK nodded and smiled. He stared straight ahead. "It is a beautiful night tonight."

Kyoko and Mina nodded. "Yes, it is."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Hello, everyone. I know this seems like a fairly pointless chapter (and on top of that, it's short too!) but it really does serve a purpose. If you think back to chapter 8, it does kinda help tie up a few lose strings that some people didn't understand. But this chapter also shows how I am going to ease off the relationship factor. I got to thinking about it, and I thought, "You know, there is so much going on in this story, that romance should by no means be the major theme." So I am going to back off that some. It is still going to be a Takari, Taiora, what ever other couples I am going to put in here, but, that won't be the primary focus. There is too much going on for that to happen eh? Don't you think?

Once again, for those who haven't answered the question yet: **Should the DigiDestined completely finish everything in this world (which may take about a year or two) or should they go back to the Digital World first?**

I need this question answered before I can get out all my ten chapters. Preferably, I need enough votes, to be able to decide how it should waver within two chapters of this one. I'm not quite sure, how many more things are going to happen in this world, and how many more chapters will be here, so I need to have the question answered, so I can decide how to go about the story.

Review!

ebacusta

P.S. And Willis was not hitting on Yolei with either the kiss or the "Princess" line. He was just being nice and friendly.


	17. Heart of Gold

Monday, June 21, 2005

Ebacusta: Gee guys, you certainly know how to make an author feel loved. You only left me **5** reviews! Only 5! After I've been working my butt off. So that's why I took a break. If you guys don't want it, then why should I give it? I mean jeez, I've got enough to deal with because it's burning up here, and I'm being forced into the wilderness soon. My life is pretty hectic right now. And we've got the worst summer reading books you can imagine! They're terrible! Both of them! They make me want to rip my eyes out so I don't have to see the words anymore. And they are sooooooooooooooooo boring. I mean really. The teacher might as well have told us to sit outside and watch the grass grow for a month. Argh! I need to blow off some steam.

As for reviews, I will do those next chapter, when I get more, so hang tight for me. Plus, its like 1 in the morning. I'm tired. REVIEW!

TK: Fic time!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 17

**Heart of Gold

* * *

**

"That is true, Yolei, but, I just would like to know. Maybe if I know what she is looking for, I can be better prepared to stop it," Willis said. "Just maybe."

"But you know Willis," Yolei said, "you don't have to fight alone. You have us. And of course we will fight you."

Willis suddenly turned to her, a smile on his lips, his face half shrouded in shadow. "You're right Yolei. If there is one thing that Digimon and you have taught me, it is that I don't have to fight alone. I have friends who are willing to help. Thanks Yolei." He walked over and gave her light peck on the cheek.

"Shall I walk you back to the apartment?" Willis offered.

"Oh! Thank you. That would be great," Yolei said.

"Lead the way Princess," Willis said gesturing with his arm. Yolei began to walk, with Willis walking beside her.

**..:O..:O:..O:..**

"And that one person is Kari?" Mina asked.

"Yes. We have known each other since we were little kids. We grew up together, and we know everything about each other, and we know what each has been through," TK said. "But sometimes I wonder… is it all worth it?"

"TK," Kyoko said," if you ask me, I think you are thinking about the matter way to much. Like you said Que sera sera. What will happen, will happen, and what won't., won't and we can't do anything to stop that. Therefore, I think that you should just lean back and go with the flow. And when the flow is starting to go a direction you don't want to go in, that's when you start to fight. Why tire yourself out before the big fight comes? It is a completely pointless exercise. So, do you see what I am saying?"

TK nodded. "Yeah, I think I do. You're right. I shouldn't worry. Que sera sera. Thanks Kyoko and Mina."

"The future has worries of its own. Don't add them to your worries of today," Mina said.

TK nodded and smiled. He stared straight ahead. "It is a beautiful night tonight."

Kyoko and Mina nodded. "Yes, it is."

* * *

Mina looked at the still unconscious Kari. "We can't take her back to Tai in this state. He'll kill us."

Kyoko looked at her as well and sighed. "Yeah, but summer vacation is running out. And besides, what else can we do? Leave her at Mina's till she recovers? Honey, he'll make our deaths even more painful for not bringing her back with us."

Mina glanced at Kyoko. "So basically… what you're saying is… we're dead with way?"

Kyoko nodded, "'Fraid so."

It was Mina's turn to sigh. "We've got a bleak future ahead of us then." She stood up and crossed the room. "But the fact that she's unconscious isn't the real reason I think Tai might kill us."

"Oh?"

"Well, I was just thinking… it was kinda selfish of us… to force our family problems onto Kari's already full plate. I mean, didn't she end up leaving her home because she wanted to clear her head? But look at us, adding our own troubles onto her own. It just seems really selfish you know?"

"Yeah, but Kari's a wonder girl," Kyoko said standing as well. She and her cousin headed out the double glass doors and stood on the balcony, overlooking the ocean. The moon shining brightly above them.

"Just because she's a wonder girl, doesn't give us the right to overwork and take advantage of her kindness," Mina said.

Kyoko looked down. "You've got a point."

"And true kindness like the kindness that Kari shows to everyone is real. Real kindness is hard to come by these days. You know, someone who will do something nice for you, _just because_ she was thinking of you. Something with no strings attached. To take advantage of that will just wear her down until her real kindness fades away, and either nothing or fake kindness takes its place," Mina said. "We don't have the right to do that to someone. And why should we kill of something that's rare already?"

"Yea, I guess your right. It's our fault that she's in a coma right now. And that she's been like that for days and days on end," Kyoko said. "But can you blame us for getting a little bit excited when she said she would help? When she had Mitsuki's wings? Can you blame us for wanting to see a family member again?"

"No, of course not," Mina said. "That's not what I'm saying… well, wait, I guess in a way it kind of is. But I mean, it just seems to me though, that we are just adding to Kari's troubles. Either Mika or Yukito said that now they could rest easier knowing they were safe due to Kari's incantation. Well you know what the incantation does. It keeps Hilga from getting too close. Well not _Hilga_ specifically, but powerful things with bad intentions. What if, when Kari gets home, in order to protect _her_ family, she tries to perform the incantation again, except _this_ time… she dies. What are we going to do then? Whose fault will it be for opening her mind to the possibility of the incantation? And don't say Yukito. It's our entire family's fault. We shouldn't have put so much emphasis on ourselves."

Kyoko looked at her puzzled. "Mina, what are you getting at?" she asked cautiously.

Mina sighed and looked up at the moon. "Maybe, we should just lay off of Kari for a while. Yukito's already told us himself, didn't he? We won't be able to get the wings out of her, for at least, what? Six or seven months? Her body is too weak to withstand the strain of taking those wings out of her. Even after her injury heals, her powers will _still_ be limited for a while. And think… just think… if Kari gets in some sort of situation where she needs to use all of her powers, what is she going to do then? She won't have all of them at her disposal because in some cases, her body will be too weak. And whose fault is that? Ours."

Kyoko considered this. "Mina, I can see where you're coming from… but in the defense of our family, I'd like to point out that Hilga was bound to attack them anyway. Kari has the wings of light, and she was going to go after them even if they had stayed in Tokyo."

Mina gripped the banister as she growled in frustration. "Kyoko, you're missing the point. Think about it. _Think_ about it. Mitsuki had the wings of fire. Kari has Mitsuki's wings which means, guess what? _Kari's got two sets of wings._ Two sets of wings that Hilga's gonna want, which puts her in more danger." The realization hit Kyoko like a ton of bricks. Mina wasn't finished yet. She continued, "And whose idea was it to talk to Kari about getting Mitsuki's wings in the first place? Ours. Why did Kari do anything dangerous like she did in the first place? For our sake. Why is she in this coma now? Because of us.

"Are you not hearing a lot of _ours_, _our_, and _us_ words in there? Cause I know that I certainly am! And that's what I'm talking about. Ever since Kari and TK got here, it's been all about us! Maybe we should give _them_ some consideration for a change! There are a lot of methods that I don't necessarily agree with in our clan. And if self-centered behavior is gonna become one, then I want out! I'm not going to stick around with a family that is only concerned about themselves! That's not me, and it's never going to be!"

"I hope that your thinking doesn't change when you're older," a new voice said. Mina and Kyoko turned around.

"Mika…" The 29 year old woman approached them from the doors that led back into their bedroom.

"I know how you feel Mina. I was just thinking that we've spent a lot of time thinking about ourselves. Loading Kari and TK down with our family problems and secrets and stuff. And I've heard about their current situation. Believe me, I would love to show some consideration to them. They have done so much for us, yes I know, it's the us word again. But, even still, I think if they hadn't down _anything_ for us, except been bratty and self-centered, like we were, I would still want to do something nice for them. Because I think they deserve it and because I like that Kari girl. Heck, just because I want too.

"Kari is such a strong person. Think of all that she's done for us. She's got a gift. She had every reason in the world to get mad at us. To refuse our request for help concerning Mitsuki. She still has every reason to tell us off for how selfish we've been. But she won't. I know she won't. Her kindness is that she _wants_ to help. She _wants_ to do something for others. And it is this fact that drew me to her.

"She is a pretty girl. A girl who has her whole life ahead of her. But I can tell, the life she's already led has been a hard one. Perhaps just as hard, if not harder, than our own. But regardless, she keeps on smiling. She keeps on going. She keeps on _working_ to move forward. She doesn't let the small things get her down at all. And its because of this that I am jealous of her. She is my role model. Someone I want to become. Look at me, more than ten years older than her, and I can't display simple qualities like courage, consideration, and determination.

"I truly am a coward. I hide behind my own family problems. And convince myself that I must have the worst situation in the world. That I deserve to be pampered and spoiled. At least people should feel sorry for me, and offer to help me with what I do. But really… I am just a coward. Kari is strong. She faces her problems with courage, and she doesn't back down from a challenge. She deserves to be pampered and spoiled. A lot more than I do. But she doesn't request that at all. The only thing she wants is friends to help her through the situation. Nothing materialistic. Only friendship, or something sentimental like that. The thought of the smile and happiness she will see on the person's face when she does something out of kindness for them is the thing that drives her forward. Not any material possession. And that is why, she has the heart of gold. That is why, she is truly a child of the light. That is why, she is a billion times better than me as a person. That is why, _I_, as an adult, want to be more like a teenager. That is why _I_ want to be more like her."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Anyway, here is some more food for thought. Carefully think about this conversation the girls had. It could prove to be very important in the future. The chapter is short and sweet, but I think it may be one of my favorite chapters so far. **Review** and tell me what you think!

ebacusta

P.S. I'd like more than five this time. If not, I may neglect posting for a while… And That Day Was The Last Day I Saw Your Smile too. I mean I'm not posting for nothing am I? You like my stuff don't you? So please, tell me so… in a **review**. Seriously... review. I'm gonna be waiting.


	18. Broken Inside

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Ebacusta: Sorry if you thought it was filler. I just felt that maybe it was time for everyone to take a little break, you know? Lots of action two chapters ago, and this seemed like a good chance for you guys to see what everyone was thinking. Anyway, I'm updating again. Sorry about the other day, I was in a bad mood, and it was late (or early depending on how you think about it).

About the review thing, I wasn't _really_ going to stop updating entirely. But, if you don't review, then how am I supposed to tell whether you like the events that are happening? Currently, I am letting the story run its course. But I don't want you to stop reading if I offend you or anything. So, that's why I like you to review. And furthermore, I want you to tell me ideas you have for where this story could go. I want to know what you guys think. And I can't do that if you don't review. I'm not a mind reader……… yet.

I was just totally off because it was late/early, and like I said, I can't **stand** my summer reading books. They are both awful! Just awful! I hate them both. I mean jeez. I saw that some other school gets to read _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_. An interesting book that I've already read like a hundred times. But no, I get stuck with stupid books. I mean it's just that…

Mimi: Ebby, girl… shut up.

Ebacusta: Wh-wh-what? I mean come on. Can't you show a _little_ consideration for me? Or at least be a bit kinder? I mean, honestly. That was cruel.

Mimi: Well, okay then. I'm sorry. But seriously, be quiet. No body wants to listen to you rant _on_ and _on_ and _on_ about your summer reading books.

Willis: In any case, ebacusta would like to thank:

**Nakita**: Howdy. Really, I don't know how you could stand to read the beginning 10 times. It was horrible written in my opinion. Some of my worst work yet. I was about to rewrite them. Anyway, when I got your review, I was already working on this chapter. See, I was forced to go camping when I had originally started this two weeks ago, and then, I had this convention that I went to this weekend, so I've been busy. And I also started a new fic in the Gundam Seed section as well. Though it is very short and still going. Thanks for the review.

**RockyRoadSmith2**: Thanks.

**SailerNeo**: To be honest, in the last chapter that's what I was trying to get away from. Romance, because it really seems like more of a secondary thing to the action. But I suppose I could squeeze a bit of romance in, but I don't know how soon it will be, so I can't make any promises. As for the Digimon, they're back in the Real World, and you will be seeing more of them soon. Don't worry I haven't forgot about them.

**Kara**- Well, yeah. Strange, but I make my favorite character go through all the bad problems and stuff. But, I agree. Poor Kari. Here's the next chapter, though. So enjoy, and please don't be mad!

**Avalonic**- Sorry. I didn't mean to bore you. I hope that you will find this chapter a bit more interesting than the last. Thanks for the review though.

**Taky Glu**- Thanks. That's one thing I can't stand. Zero character development. I feel one of the best ways to get your readers to identify with a character, is to let them know of their background, and the way they think, and stuff like that. If that doesn't happen, then I get bored. And besides, feelings are my forte!

To be honest though, I think I've done a terrible job of keeping these personalities and stuff in line. For example, I have completely messed up the power system, so know I've dug myself in a hole. So, it is likely that things will become very confusing in the future. When they do, please stick with me. And, as long as you tell me what you think about a certain chapter or event or sentence or what not that you liked, didn't like, or didn't quite understand, I'm happy. Let's me know how I'm doing as a writer.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**- Duh! That's _exactly_ what he's supposed to do! Mica sounds like a brave soul. He should use his bravery, slip through the window, and dash across to the Main Computer Cabin, or where ever they keep the computers. And then, he's supposed to get onto the internet, and leave me a review. I mean, is it really that hard to figure out?

I kid, I kid. No, I was still going to update, it just kinda hurt my feelings that you guys didn't talk to me. I mean, maybe it is greedy of me, but I love getting feedback about my writing. It helps me become better. This story is proof of how I've matured over the two years I've been here. Personally, I think my writing skills have become a **lot** better. Don't you?

And FYI, I took offense to **everything** you said. We're not cool!

…

…

…

I'm kidding. I totally understand where you're coming from. To be honest, it kinda annoys me when other authors threaten not to update because of lack of reviews. So from now on, I will try not to annoy you by saying stupid stuff like that. I will try to update whenever I can. And don't worry. We're cool… for now. Lol. I can't get mad at you guys (unless you're just totally out to put me down or something), so don't worry.

**hopes chaos**- Thanks. And don't worry, it's okay. As long as you come back soon to tell me what's on your mind.

**Kay**- Thanks. I hope you'll feel the same way about this chapters as well.

**Lord Pata**- Thanks. Really? I was just getting ready to redo the first chapter, and I was thinking it was kinda… I dunno, weird. I was gonna get rid of the Patamon and Gatomon studying love thing. But if you think I should keep it, then I will. Do you?

Chapter 16 reviewers:

**RockyRoadSmith2**- Thanks. When you're happy, I'm happy… most of the time anyway. Please enjoy this chapter as well.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**- Course not. I don't hate any of you.

**Kara**- Nope. He may look like a playboy, but I don't think he is, so I'm not gonna make him one in this fic. Besides, think about it. Love triangle soap opera. I can't stand soap operas. They turn the sound up so loud you can hear the people _breathing_. I mean come on, that's just overkill. And it's bloody annoying. But that's just my opinion.

**Nakita**- Hmm, that might be a bit hard. And it might confuse you as well as me. But I will think about it. As for a character review, of course! But this information is likely to change in the future, because like I said earlier, I completely messed up this power system. And I mean big time. The stuff in parenthesizes is the name they're using in the New World.

**Character Chart: (Subject to change):**

Tai Kamiya (Tim (_Parent) _Tom (_Kid) _Yagami): 18, Fire

Kari Kamiya (Katherine "Kay" Yagami): 15, Light

Sora Takenouchi (Sally _(Parent)_ Sarah _(Kid)_ Yagami): 18, Sky

Matt Ishida (Mark_ (Parent)_ Alex _(Kid)_ Ishida): 18, Ice

T.K. Takaishi (TK "Tee" Ishida): 15, Wind

Izzy Izumi (Brian _(Parent)_ Bryce _(Kid)_ Takenouchi): 17, Lightening

Mimi Tachikawa (Georgia_ (Parent)_ Gigi "Gee" _(Kid )_Takenouchi): 17, Wood

Joe Kido (Jim _(Parent)_ John _(Kid)_ Kido): 19, Water

Davis Motimiya (David Yagami): 15, Mist

Yolei Inoue (RachelTakenouchi): 16, Earth

Cody Hida (Calvin Takenouchi): 12, Snow

Ken Ichijouji (Kevin Kido): 16, Weather

Willis Summer (Will Ishida): 15, Time

Man, even that_ chart_ is confusing. Summer is not Willis' last name. I don't know what that is and I couldn't find it. But, I think that I made the DD a bit too old because the older DD will be in college before the fic finishes which is not gonna work. And Davis and Cody's powers seem like a waste. I mean, what do they **do**? Nothing from an attack standpoint. And besides, Joe could easily make their elements on his own. And the only think I could think to give Sora was Sky, which so far is actually pretty useless. I mean she can lift people and things (which is actually telekinesis), she can create illusions of herself and she can forge people's signatures. Oh! I make little rain clouds that rain on only specific people. Which is kinda covered in the Weather aspect that Ken posses don't you think?

Anyway, I've got a lot of work to do, so, everything in the above chart is likely to change. And it most likely will change.

**Taky Glu**- That's not supposed to be what my stories are for, but hey! Whatever floats your boat. But you really should do your homework. I mean it's not like I want you to get bad grades.

**thedigitalrailroader**- Yeah, well, since I wrote that chapter my English teacher has changed. My new one (now old) actually encouraged my writing, which meant fanfictions just came with the package. She didn't edit mine though. But still, I have to say… lucky.

Ebacusta: Anyway, what I told Nakita is true. I've messed up badly, so this story is probably going to change a lot. As for the beginning of the fic, I'm going to rewrite all of it. I really can't stand it. It is horrible written and very very choppy in my opinion. So, that's another thing I'm adding to my plate. In addition, I'm redoing my website, so I hope it'll look a lot better, and all of you are going to have to go see it when it is finished and tell me what you think. I happen to like the new layout quite a bit.

Somebody mentioned seeing the one evil TK, er, well, I not quite sure yet. He'll appear again before the fic is over, but exactly when, I'm not quite sure. So, I'll think about and deal with that later. Anyway, once again concerning the review thing (I know, I'm probably boring you all to death with this) I really do like it when you review. When I get the email alerting me to a new review, it really does brighten my whole day. And I want my days to be really really bright, because I really need a tan. No not really, I kid, I kid, but it does make my day better. And you want me to have good days right?

Mimi: Of course not.

Ebacusta: (tears) That's cold, Mimi. That's cold.

Sora: Disclaimer anyone?

Tai: Can I do it?

Izzy: (sighs heavily) I _guess_ you can. Steal my only thing to do in these things.

Tai: If you want to do it Izzy, you can, I was just asking…

Matt: Tai he's just kidding. Couldn't you tell from the overly exaggerated sigh?

Kari: Look are you going to do the disclaimer or not. It's not like the readers have all day to wait guys.

Davis: Hey look, a bottle of soap.

Tai: Right. Ebacusta owns Digimon ……… in her dreams.

Joe: Hey Davis whatcha doing?

Cody: Oh no…

Davis: SOAP WAVE!

Digidestined: (scream)

Yolei: Davis you idiot!

Davis: It wasn't my fault! Really. Hilga stole the bottle from me and mixed the whole thing up and made the wave herself! I swear!

Yolei: DAAAAAVIS!

Ebacusta: No! My papers! MY PAPERS! (gets swept away by wave)

TK: FIC TIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMEEEE! (trials off)

Digidestined: (scream as they all get swept away except Ken who is holding on to a light fixture. Ken hears a breaking sound)

Ken: This can't be good. (the light breaks off and he too is swept away)

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 18

**Broken Inside

* * *

**

"I know how you feel Mina. I was just thinking that we've spent a lot of time thinking about ourselves. Loading Kari and TK down with our family problems and secrets and stuff. And I've heard about their current situation. Believe me, I would love to show some consideration to them. They have done so much for us, yes I know, it's the us word again. But, even still, I think if they hadn't down _anything_ for us, except been bratty and self-centered, like we were, I would still want to do something nice for them. Because I think they deserve it and because I like that Kari girl. Heck, just because I want too.

"Kari is such a strong person. Think of all that she's done for us. She's got a gift. She had every reason in the world to get mad at us. To refuse our request for help concerning Mitsuki. She still has every reason to tell us off for how selfish we've been. But she won't. I know she won't. Her kindness is that she _wants_ to help. She _wants_ to do something for others. And it is this fact that drew me to her.

"She is a pretty girl. A girl who has her whole life ahead of her. But I can tell, the life she's already led has been a hard one. Perhaps just as hard, if not harder, than our own. But regardless, she keeps on smiling. She keeps on going. She keeps on _working_ to move forward. She doesn't let the small things get her down at all. And its because of this that I am jealous of her. She is my role model. Someone I want to become. Look at me, more than ten years older than her, and I can't display simple qualities like courage, consideration, and determination.

"I truly am a coward. I hide behind my own family problems. And convince myself that I must have the worst situation in the world. That I deserve to be pampered and spoiled. At least people should feel sorry for me, and offer to help me with what I do. But really… I am just a coward. Kari is strong. She faces her problems with courage, and she doesn't back down from a challenge. She deserves to be pampered and spoiled. A lot more than I do. But she doesn't request that at all. The only thing she wants is friends to help her through the situation. Nothing materialistic. Only friendship, or something sentimental like that. The thought of the smile and happiness she will see on the person's face when she does something out of kindness for them is the thing that drives her forward. Not any material possession. And that is why, she has the heart of gold. That is why, she is truly a child of the light. That is why, she is a billion times better than me as a person. That is why, _I_, as an adult, want to be more like a teenager. That is why _I_ want to be more like her."

* * *

Mimi rolled over. After trying for a few more minutes to get some rest, she realized that sleep would allude her, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She let out a big yawn, and then got up and headed for the shower. After dressing, she went into the kitchen. Sora was already there in her pajamas.

Mimi smiled, "Good morning, Sora."

Sora turned to her, with her bedhead hair, "Good morning, Mimi. How are you today?"

"I'm doing well. I'm excited," Mimi said as she came over and began to help Sora prepare breakfast. "Going to the Onsen is gonna be a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, "but it will be slightly expensive."

"Yes," Mimi agreed, "but I think since, TK and Kari have treated themselves to a luxury, we should treat ourselves to one. I mean granted, I know they've been through a lot, but it hasn't been easy working with some of us working two jobs, going to school, getting homework done, and then worrying about TK and Kari. I think we deserve some rest and relaxation. And besides, if we go while TK and Kari are still in Okinawa having fun, we'll have two less people to pay for, and not have to worry about them feeling left out."

Sora came over and put some eggs on a plate with some toast. "Thanks," Mimi said, as she offered Sora some of the smoothie she'd made for herself.

Sora shook her head, "No thanks, I'm gonna have some tea."

"Tea? It's gonna be burning up outside, why do you want tea?" Mimi asked.

"It will wake me up," Sora replied. She took the pot of hot water out of the coffee maker, and poured it into a cup before dropping a tea bag into it.

"Sora, you only made breakfast for you and me," Mimi said as she picked her fork up.

Sora smiled, "The others can eat cereal or they can make their own breakfast."

Mimi laughed but then she turned her attention to Sora and looked at her seriously. "Sor, are you okay?"

Sora looked at her with tired eyes, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired."

Mimi leaned down to look her friend in the face. Sora used a spoon and scooped her tea bag out placing it on her plate and stirring sugar into her tea. Something was wrong. "Sor, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Sora, don't lie to me, I can tell that something's wrong," Mimi said lowering her fork from her mouth.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just tired," Sora insisted.

Mimi waved her fork as she spoke, keeping her eyes on her friend, "Sora, don't try and play me for a fool. I can tell when something's bothering you."

Sora looked up. "How can you tell Mimi?"

"Well, for starters," Mimi said, "Tea is your comfort drink. When something's on your mind you always like to drink tea. Jasmine tea to be precise." Mimi stabbed her fork at the label on the tea bag. Sora blushed.

"Do I really always drink Jasmine tea when I'm thinking?" Sora asked.

"Yes," Mimi nodded.

Sora chuckled lightly. When she didn't reply, Mimi pushed her gently, "Sora…"

"Let's talk outside," Sora said. Abandoning her food, Mimi picked up her smoothie, and followed Sora down the hall, quietly through their room and out onto the balcony. They closed the shutters and the door behind them. Sora walked over to the fence and overlooked the city, staring out looking serene. The sun was just starting to poke it's head above the horizon.

"Sora, what's on your mind? I'm your friend, you can talk to me," Mimi said.

Sora shook her head. "It's Tai. He's been so down these past few months. And I haven't been able to do anything to help him. I mean, I can say things, and he says that I'm right, and he acts happy for the day, but I can tell, that he's not. It pains me that he's so sad. But it pains me even more that I can't help him."

"You know why he's sad," Mimi said.

"It's Kari… he feels he's failed," Sora replied. She fought to hold the tears back as she took a sip of her tea.

"Failed at what?" Mimi asked.

"At being a big brother… at being a protector… at everything," Sora said. She wiped away the tear that had forced itself out and was running down her cheek.

"At everything?"

"And… I can't stand… the way he's beating himself up about it," Sora said. "I know, it's hurting him to watch her pull away from him. But she's growing up, things are changing, and the things that are going to happen are things that he can't stop. They're natural, but he feels, that there's something he did, that's messed things up." More tears began slipping out, faster, and with more determination.

"Messed things up? Wait a minute Sora, I'm afraid I don't understand. Does this have anything to do with the night a few days ago, when you and Tai stayed home together?" Mimi took a sip of the smoothie that she held in her hands. She walked over and leaned on the rail with Sora.

"When Kari called when she told Tai that she was in Okinawa, she told him that it had just happened and that it had all been an accident. That she'd gotten caught up in the flow. But Tai was certain it was something he did to chase her away," Sora sighed.

"What did he base this on?" Mimi asked as desperately wishing she had a handkerchief or Kleenex she could offer to her friend.

"When Kari called she also asked Tai not for us to try and find them. That they had some things they need to work out on their own," Sora said. "He said the reason they had things they needed to work out on their own was his fault in the first place for getting her involved in the Digital World in the first place. That he didn't try hard enough to keep her out of things. And he went back to the stakes." Sora dropped her tea cup. It fell to the ground, and Sora sank to her knees as she held onto the bars of the fence. She began to cry.

"Sora," Mimi said putting her smoothie down and dropping down beside Sora. "Sora…"

Sora turned and through herself into her friend. "The stakes. He blamed himself for all of the being taken by the stakes. He thinks he's ruined her life, by getting her involved in everything. It's so hard. Watching him do this. I love them both. Both Hikari and Tai, but everything is so hard on them right now. I'm so useless." She began to sob.

"Sora, that's not true. You're not useless," Mimi said as she wrapped her arms around Sora.

"What? What can I do for this group? I'm useless. My powers, are useless! I can't even do the one thing I used to be good at anymore," Sora said. Her fingers clutched at Mimi's arms. "I can't… I just can't do this anymore… It's too hard… and I'm too weak… I can't do it. I just can't." Sora let her head drop to Mimi's shoulder as she sobbed. Her body shaking. She sounded near hysterical. "I can't. Not anymore. I can't take anymore. I can't. I can't!"

"Sora. Sora! Calm down! You can do it. Don't say that. Calm down. Take a deep breath."

* * *

**Later

* * *

**

"Hey, where's Mimi and Sora?" Yolei asked. "It's time to leave." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around.

"I dunno," Izzy said.

"Hey, I'll go look for them," Matt said walking back down the hallway.

* * *

**Sora and Mimi

* * *

**

"I can't breathe. I can't breathe," Sora croaked as she began gasping for breath. Her chest heaved as she tried to get air in.

"Sora! Relax. Sit down, put your head between your legs," Mimi said, pushing Sora onto her bottom.

"I can't breathe. I can't breathe," Sora repeated as she clutched at Mimi's arms. Mimi pushed Sora's head between her legs.

"Sora, relax. It's gonna be okay," Mimi said. "It's okay. I promise, it's gonna be okay."

* * *

**Matt

* * *

**

Matt walked down the hall peering into rooms. He knocked on the bathroom. "Sora? Mimi? It's time to go." He waited a minute and upon getting no response, he frowned and walked down the hall to their bedroom. He knocked on it and after silence met him, he pushed the door open.

"Sora? Mimi?" he looked around. They weren't there. He was about to leave when he spied the shudders that hid the door to the balcony. Even though he thought it was a long shot, he decided to try it. Going and sliding the shudders out of the way, he pushed the door open and stepped onto the balcony.

"Sora!" he exclaimed. Mimi looked up from where she was trying to keep Sora from hyperventilating. Sora was lying on her back staring up with crazed looking eyes, tears pouring down her face.

"Impossible… can't do it… can't make it…" Sora gasped.

"Matt," Mimi said.

"What's wrong with Sora?" Matt asked running over to them. Mimi turned her attention back down to her friend.

"She's having some kind of breakdown. I don't think it's a nervous breakdown, but I can't be sure, please go get Izzy or Joe, and keep the others from coming back here. I don't need them upsetting her more than she already is," Mimi said. Matt nodded and charged for the door.

"Sora, calm down. Please, calm down. Take a deep breath. It's okay. I promise, it's okay. Go ahead, let your tears out. Just take it nice and slow. In. Out. In. Out," Matt heard Mimi say as he ran back into the apartment, charging down the hall and back into the kitchen, Matt called out, "Joe! Where's Joe?"

"I'm over here," Joe said.

Tai took a step towards Matt, "Matt, what's going on? Where's Mimi and Sora?"

"Joe, come here, I need your help with something really quick," Matt said.

"Matt, where's Sora and Mimi? What's going on?"

"I'll explain in a minute, but for now, I just need you guys to wait here for a minute," Matt said. He led Joe down the hall and out on to the balcony, where Sora was digging her nails into her skin.

"No, Sora, don't do that," Mimi said. "Unclench. Unclench." She cursed and looked around for a second. Spotting Matt and Joe, she said, "Matt, give me your shirt for a minute." Matt took the black garment off without a second thought and handed it off to his pink haired friend. Thanking him, she balled it up, and forced Sora's fingers away from her palm. Shoving Matt's shirt into her hand, Sora's nails immediately began digging into that. Mimi gasped noticing that blood was beginning to flow from her other hand. Quickly, taking off her own shirt, she balled it up and forced that into Sora's fingers.

"Can't… make it… Too… much… can't take it… any more…" Sora gasped.

"What happened?" Joe asked going over to Sora.

Mimi shook her head to hold her own tears that began to leak out anyway, "She's having some sort of breakdown."

"Why?"

"Too much stress maybe?" Mimi offered.

"Go get a towel and some ice water," Joe said as he got on his knees beside her.

"Yes," Matt and Mimi said. They both rushed back into the apartment and ran into the kitchen.

"Whoa," Ken exclaimed as he looked away embarrassed.

"Mimi, why are you running around in just your bra?" Tai demanded. "Where's Sora?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Matt said as Mimi threw open the freezer door and reached in to pull out the ice trays. Matt pulled out a large bowl and began putting water in it. Mimi quickly turned the tray over dumping the ice into the bowl. She put in another tray. And another. Then running to the bathroom, she grabbed several towels and followed Matt towards the balcony. The other DigiDestined began to follow demanding to know what was going on.

"EVEYRONE JUST SHUT UP!" Mimi yelled. "EVERYONE!" Everyone immediately fell silent. "I NEED YOU ALL TO STAY IN THE LIVING ROOM AND STAY QUIET. WE'RE HAVING A BIT OF A PROBLEM, AND IF YOU ALL COME RUSHING BACK HERE, YOU'LL MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE! OKAY? MATT SAID HE'D EXPLAIN IT IN A MINUTE! SO PARK IT AND WAIT!" Everyone backed away back into the living room and Mimi ran to the balcony where Matt was already setting the water down.

"Towels?" Joe asked. Mimi handed him the towels. He dunked them in the ice cold water and folded them out before laying them on Sora's forehead. The cold seemed to freeze her in place. Her fingers stopped grinding into the fabric, and though her eyes were still constricted and she was still crying, Mimi was glad to see that her breathing was slowing.

"What's wrong with her?" Mimi asked.

"Just a semi nervous breakdown," Joe said. "She'll need to take it easy for a couple of days."

"An onsen is there perfect place for her to do that," Mimi said.

Joe nodded, "Yes and onsen is the perfect place for her to relax, but what did you say the cause of this was."

"Stress? She's been so worried about Tai and Kari among her other responsibilities. She cracked," Mimi said.

"Then yes, it's not wise for her to travel with the others," Joe said standing up. "How about you stay here with her, Mimi and then the two of you can come up to the onsen in a couple hours. Or maybe tomorrow even. We'll be staying there for what, a week? At least three days." Mimi nodded.

"I'll stay too," Matt said.

Joe hesitated, "Well, I don't know. If this happened because of Tai, then it may be best that she not see any males when she first begins to calm. Maybe you should come with us."

"Please, I can act like a female," Matt said.

Joe smiled, "Well, if you're that willing, then I guess that'd be fine." Joe turned to go.

"Joe," Mimi called after him, "can she hear what we're saying?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it," Joe said. "She's probably caught up in some other things right now. So she can _hear _but she's not really listening. She doesn't understand. If she falls asleep, don't worry. Let her be. Though, until we can be sure that she's totally okay, keep her away from sharp objects."

"Sharp objects?" Mimi gulped.

"Yes, just to be sure," Joe said.

"What would she do with sharp objects?" Mimi asked.

Joe shrugged, "I don't know. She could attempt to kill herself, or Matt."

"Me? Why me?"

"Like I said before, she may not take a liking to males when she first wakes up, so she might try to kill the only male in the vicinity, and that would be you. A risk of staying. Do you still want to?"

"Yes," Matt nodded.

"Okay," Joe said and headed for the apartment.

"And Joe," Mimi said, "when you tell the others, can you avoid telling them about Tai being the cause. He's got a lot on his plate, and the last thing he needs is to feel responsible for this too. It was just stress, okay?"

Joe nodded, "Can do, Mimi."

"Thanks."

"You two be safe, when you come up to the onsen and let Sora take it easy. If she's tired, take a few minutes to rest and such. If she starts to freak out again, hyperventilating, stops breathing, etcetera, etcetera, sit her down and coax her to calm down. Cold water can help with that," Joe said.

"Okay," Mimi and Matt nodded.

"You be careful too, Joe," Mimi said as he stepped into the apartment. "Be safe."

"We will be," he assured her. "Don't worry."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I was going to make this chapter longer, but this sounds like a good place to stop. This was a normal length chapter anyway. 5,340 words. That's pretty good. Normal chapter length is the 4,000 word area. Anyway, I hope you didn't think Sora's attack was filler or boring. It's actually very important. I was going to go ahead and have them go to the onsen, but I'll do that in the next chapter. And Joe got a big role in this chapter. Doctor Joe, to the rescue!

All I have to say is "Poor Sora." I feel bad for her. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think. By the way, the redone version of chapter 1 will be posted soon. It's very different, so I advise you to check it out, as it's going to lead the beginning of the story, in a somewhat different direction, butit's going to be somewhat similar in terms of the main ideas behind each chapter.

1) **Onsen**: a hot springs resort, normally near volcanoes to take advantage of the natural hot springs that can be found near them.

Sorry about any misspellings, mising words, grammar problems you encountered. I must have missed them during my proofread. After all it is 1:30 in the morning. It's very possible I missed quite a few. **Review!**

ebacusta


	19. The Pain of Unforseen Occurances

Wednesday, July 20, 2005- **HAPPY TWO YEAR STORY ANNIVERSARY EVERYONE!**

Ebacusta: In case you haven't noticed today marks the two year anniversary for this story and I'm so glad you could join me this whole time. Er, I know the beginning of the story was pretty bad, but thanks for suffering through it for me. And in case you haven't checked it out yet, the redone version of chapter 1 is up, and it is _way_ different than the first version, so you might want to go read it. I'll try to have redone 2 up sometime before the end of summer.

You see the thing is, I've had my website down all summer because I've been remodeling it and changing layouts and all. I meant to have it up earlier but things didn't work out like I'd planned, so… anyway. I hope you can understand and that you'll all go check it out when it's back up. I'll put it back up before all the pages are filled, because, for instance, it's gonna take me a while to get seven episode guides up, and the gallery might take a while because I have to organize all my pictures and get permission from others to use some of them and, well, it's complicated. But, I'm trying.

I've also added several new sections to it, like for instance the fanfiction section, where you'll be able to check out plot notes, new stories, and other things. Anyway, all in all, I hope that you will join me on the page, and sign the guestbook telling me what you think about it. It's not up yet, but as you can tell, I'm working on it.

Anyway, with announcements done, let's get on with the rest of the show eh? And if you actually read everything above, I'll give you a cookie.

Mimi: Well, ebacusta would like to thank:

**Snapplekins**: That's great. I'm so glad you liked the story. I hope you continue to like the chapters ahead. Oh, really? What kinds of ideas? Will you share them with me, or at least tell me when you put them up?

**It82629**: Thanks.

**StarGazingMoonPrincess**: I was a little worried you'd take my conversational blurb offensively. I'm glad you didn't though. And I hope this update satisfies you. Just how long is Mica's summer camp anyway?

**TakyGlu**- I'm glad that you haven't failed anything. Unfortunately, though I'm an A student I can't say the same thing. Math this year caught me off guard in second semester, and I've either failed or nearly failed at least three tests. And I failed a couple homework assignments. But, I still barely squeezed by with an A (89.9 rounds up to a 90). And besides, I earned it. I went through a lot of work to erase the fails off my record, or at least soften them up. Redone tests, quizzes, and homework assignments. But I've heard next year will be easier! Anyway, you probably don't care about my school life do you?

By the way, thanks for the review, and the enthusiasm.

**SoV And LK**: Well, sorry SoV, but he can't just change sides like that you know. He needs a good enough reason, which so far, with things going the way they are, he doesn't have one. I mean really, he's getting everything he wants. Mitsuki's wings, seeing his sister, protecting his family. He wouldn't just switch. And in any case, I've figured out a way to work it in, but you're gonna have to wait a while. A looooooooong while. About 52 chapters give or take a couple. Because it's gonna have to happen when they come back to this world after stopping in the Digital World. Sorry. (Assassins, huh? So those are the people I killed in the supermarket the other day…) And Matt's not acting like a girl yet. He said that because he's desperate to know if his friend is okay, and he's willing to do anything for it. Now that's true friendship.

**Hopes chaos**: Didn't expect Sora's breakdown eh? You and me both, buddy. You and me both. Thanks though. I wonder what will happen in this chapter. (This is bad. I know. As an author I should know what's going to happen to my story. But I don't. How sad.)

**Saith-chan**: Thanks.

**Nakita**: I'm sorry that I took so long. A lot of things came up. Please enjoy this chapter. And unfortunately, though I don't know where the chapter is headed, I know it won't include TK and Kari. Sorry.

**Kay**: You know all these DigiDestined have been through a lot. TK and Kari first of course. But then Tai and Matt. And personally, in my opinion, Sora's ahead of those two. They've suffered the disappearance of the siblings on several occasions, but they had someone to talk too. Sora. Sora's been storing up all their feelings, her feelings, her natural instinct to worry and look out for her friends, and then on top of all of that, she works two jobs, goes to school, cooks and cleans, pretends to be her own parents as she's separated from her own, and does all of it with a smile on her face. Having so much to do and so many things running through your head. That's rough. I'd know. I had a breakdown earlier this year actually, because of school and all. Really, it was horrible. But my brother was so cool about it! He helped me calm down and everything.

**Kara**: Ahaha. Sorry, please don't kill me… or roast me over a fire for that matter. Er, well… why'd I do that to Sora…? (tries to think of a good excuse and fails miserably) Um… (shifty eyes) look a bird! (runs) Er, well, seriously, I'm not quite sure. It kinda… happened. Okay? That's all it was. (collapses in a heap, wailing on the floor) I'M A FAILURE! A COMPLETE FAILURE! Ahuhuhuh. (Sobs uncontrollably until Mimi punches her on the side of the head.)

Mimi: Why can't you act like a _normal _person for once? I mean honestly!You're like a broken record. Jeez!

Ebacusta: That's cold. Anyway, thanks for the review. And as for whether Sora kills anyone or not, you'll have to wait and see. Thanks for the review.

**LordPata**: Well, I abided by your wishes and kept the Love chat that Kari and TK had with their digimon. I hope you liked the redone version of the first chapter and if you could give me feedback (**if all of you could give me feedback on the redone version**) I'd be grateful. Oh really? Thanks, I actually didn't know where the last chapter was going (laughs and quickly adds) I'm really glad you were able to attach it to something.

Ebacusta: Just a little reminder for everyone.

Character Chart: (Subject to change)

Tai Kamiya (Tim Parent Tom Kid Yagami): 18, Fire

Kari Kamiya (Katherine Kay Yagami): 15, Light

Sora Takenouchi (Sally Parent Sarah Kid Yagami): 18, Sky

Matt Ishida (Mark Parent Alex Kid Ishida): 18, Ice

T.K. Takaishi (TK Tee Ishida): 15, Wind

Izzy Izumi (Brian Parent Bryce Kid Takenouchi): 17, Lightening

Mimi Tachikawa (Georgia Parent Gigi Gee Kid Takenouchi): 17, Wood

Joe Kido (Jim Parent John Kid Kido): 19, Water

Davis Motimiya (David Yagami): 15, Mist

Yolei Inoue (RachelTakenouchi): 16, Earth

Cody Hida (Calvin Takenouchi): 12, Snow

Ken Ichijouji (Kevin Kido): 16, Weather

Willis Summer (Will Ishida): 15, Time

And once again, please check out the redone version and give me some feedback about it all. And then give me feedback about this chapter. I feel the need to apologize for taking so long. You see, the problem was, after all my packed weekends, when I finally got some free time, I ended up gashing my foot climbing through a window (I locked myself out of my house, smart, I know) and my foot started swelling so bad I couldn't walk. So I haven't been able to make it to my computer as much. Please understand, and thanks for being patient. And now, without further ado…

TK: FIC TIME!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 19

**The Pain of Unforseen Occurances

* * *

**

"What would she do with sharp objects?" Mimi asked.

Joe shrugged, "I don't know. She could attempt to kill herself, or Matt."

"Me? Why me?"

"Like I said before, she may not take a liking to males when she first wakes up, so she might try to kill the only male in the vicinity, and that would be you. A risk of staying. Do you still want to?"

"Yes," Matt nodded.

"Okay," Joe said and headed for the apartment.

"And Joe," Mimi said, "when you tell the others, can you avoid telling them about Tai being the cause. He's got a lot on his plate, and the last thing he needs is to feel responsible for this too. It was just stress, okay?"

Joe nodded, "Can do, Mimi."

"Thanks."

"You two be safe, when you come up to the onsen and let Sora take it easy. If she's tired, take a few minutes to rest and such. If she starts to freak out again, hyperventilating, stops breathing, etcetera, etcetera, sit her down and coax her to calm down. Cold water can help with that," Joe said.

"Okay," Mimi and Matt nodded.

"You be careful too, Joe," Mimi said as he stepped into the apartment. "Be safe."

"We will be," he assured her. "Don't worry."

* * *

Mimi leaned over and watched Sora sleep peacefully. After a moment she got up and left the room sadly shaking her head to Matt's imploring eyes. She sat down on a stool at the counter and gratefully accepted the drink he handed her before he returned to the lunch he was making for the two.

"Matt, how could something like this happen? Why didn't I see it before?" Mimi moaned.

Matt looked at her, "Mimi, it's not your fault."

"No! It is. I should have noticed that Sora was overloaded, both physically _and_ mentally. I mean, what, she's been working double shifts, and all."

"Mimi, we've all been working double shifts. You, me, Tai, Sora, Izzy, and Joe. Everyone's overloaded."

"No, it's not just that. On top of this, she's been worrying about Kari and TK. _And_ she's been worried about how you and Tai are holding up since they left. Tai, especially. He's been falling apart, and she feels it's her fault." Mimi stood irritably and paced the kitchen as she continued, "I can't help but think that if she'd had someone to talk to, some like me," she added sadly, "that this wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have gotten so mentally overloaded. Smiling all the time, I mean look at me, even I was dumping my problems on her the other day. I… I'm such a bad friend. Always so self-centered, and full of myself."

Mimi was surprised when she felt strong arms around her. "Mimi, that's not true at all. Who was it, who ended up getting herself _injured_ so she could bring her friends some bagels? Who was it, who sacrificed her seven credit cards to make sure her friends would have a roof over their heads? Who was it, who got all of us transferred and took care of all the moving costs so that her friends could be safer when they walked down the street? And who is it, who's standing here, worrying her head off about her friend, Sora? Mimi, you have done so much for this group as a friend.

"Granted, when I first met you at summer camp, you were a bit spoiled and irritating, but you have grown so much since then. I mean, you went from spoiled brat, to someone I'd always want to watch my back. You are perfect just the way you are." Mimi looked at Matt. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, Matt…" And then she threw herself into him as she allowed her own tears to fall.

**..:II:….:II:….:II:..**

"Sora, how are you feeling?"

"Um, I'm not quite sure," Sora said.

"Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

"Here, please eat some." Mimi offered Sora a tray. Sora, obediently took it and began munching away. When she was finished, Mimi let Sora rest a bit more while she washed up her eating utensils, before Mimi bent forward slowly and quietly introduced Matt into the picture. Sora looked at him for a while, and then when Mimi asked if she was ready to go, Sora nodded in the affirmative. And with that, the two packed backpacks and trucked out of the apartment.

Mimi attempted to keep normal chit chat up while at the same time, avoiding the subject of their friends, because she knew any mention of them, would bring Sora's mind back to Tai. It was harder than Mimi thought.

"So, Sora… how did you sleep?" Mimi asked.

"Fine," Sora replied cockling her head.

"Any good dreams?"

"No not really," Sora replied. It was then that she caught sight of Matt. She stopped. Mimi stopped. Matt stopped. "You," Sora growled and lunged at him, her fingers closing around his throat. Matt gagged and attempted to pry his friend's hands from around his neck.

"Sora!" Mimi exclaimed. "Sora stop it!" Mimi desperately attempted to get Sora to release Matt's neck. Struggling for breath, Matt attempted to see if he could wiggle his way out of it, "Can I help you, miss? Did I upset you?" he asked in the most effeminate voice he could manage in his current predicament. Sora's fingers tightened as she let out an anguished yell. "SORA!" Mimi screamed as bags dropped off of arms.

Mimi was now attempting to wedge herself between Sora and Matt hoping to knock her hands off. Realizing he'd only made it worse, Matt desperately began rummaging in his backpack for a bottle of water. His vision was blurring dangerously. He swayed on his feet as his fingers closed around what he was looking for. Pulling it out of the bag and activating his powers, Matt felt the bottle chill instantly. Twisting off the top, he reached up and threw the cold water into Sora's face. Sora stopped moving immediately.

When Mimi pulled her hands loose and desperately looked between her two friends: Matt wheezing for air, and Sora standing there with a blank expression on her face, water dripping from her hair. Mimi went over to Matt first.

"Matt are you okay?" she asked kneeling beside where he was hunched over on the ground.

"Sora… first," he replied in a hoarse whisper, pointing weakly at the red headed girl who hadn't moved an inch since the cold water had made contact with her skin. Looking at him regretfully, Mimi moved over to Sora.

"Sora, what's gotten into you? What's wrong? You know Matt? You've met him before," Mimi said. "Remember the apartment, you were okay with him there. You two are friends."

Sora held a vacant look in her eyes as she stared straight ahead. And then, ever so quietly, "Mi…mi…"

"Sora!" Mimi replied. Sora's head moved to see Matt on the ground, still trying to soothe his aching throat. She brought her hands up to her face so she could scrutinize them. And after a minute of painful silence, she broke down in tears.

"What's wrong with me? Why did just attack Matt?" she wailed.

"Sora… it's okay…" Matt wheezed in his hoarse whisper again.

"No it's not! Listen to you know! You can't even raise your voice. What if…? Oh no! What if I've damaged your vocal cords permanently?" Sora wailed.

"Sora, please calm down. It's okay," Mimi said pulling her friend into a hug as the two of them dropped to their knees.

"I don't know what came over me. I saw Matt, and then I just felt this urge… to… to remove him from my sight I guess. I don't know what it was. But I just wanted him gone," Sora said. "I…"

"Shh," Mimi soothed. "It's okay. Here drink so water and calm down. Take deep breathes. In… Hold… Out… In… Hold… Out… There you go." They sat there for about another hour, sitting in a bench at the nearby park.

"Matt… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I did that to you. If you never wanted to forgive me, I'd understand," Sora standing hanging her head in shame.

"Sora, it's okay. I'm fine," Matt said ignoring the pain that made itself present when he talked. "Just don't cry anymore."

"Are you ready to go?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah," Sora said. The threesome headed up the sidewalk heading to the subway station, Mimi thinking it better they didn't walk any more.

"Where are you going, Mimi?" Sora asked, when Mimi attempted to guide her down some stairs into the underground station. "The bus stop for the onsen is that way, and if we don't hurry we'll miss it."

Mimi looked at her, worry written across her face. "Well, it's quite a walk to get to the bus stop from here. Are you sure you're up to it?" Sora nodded. "Well okay then," Mimi sighed in defeat as they headed up the path.

"So, anyway, Sora, I told the guy no, because I like Iz…" Mimi trailed off. Was there no subject she could mention without being dragged back to the subject of her friends? She'd almost said one of their names.

"You like who Mimi?" Sora asked.

"Oh look at those pretty flowers!" Mimi exclaimed pointing a patch of brilliantly colored azaleas. Suddenly the ground began to rumble. "What's that?"

"I don't know." Suddenly, a giant Earth dragon rose out of the ground and dived towards them. With a scream they scattered looking at the giant hole left in the ground. Mimi looked around. They were near the edge of a mountain now, so it was highly unlikely that anyone would hear them scream. The monster came up again, after Sora.

"SORA!" Mimi screamed, running and diving at her friend, knocking both of them out of the way. They landed hard on the ground. Mimi cursed inwardly. 'Dang it. This was _not _the relaxation I had in mind for Sora. She's never gonna recover like this!'

Throwing a giant ice spike at it, and watching it stab through the creature's head, Matt yelled, "You girls go ahead. Get Sora to the Onsen!"

"But Matt!" Mimi protested.

"Go! I'll take care of this thing," Matt replied. Reluctantly, Mimi hung her head, and after throwing up a quick wall of vines to protect her and Sora from flying rocks that were headed their way, Mimi grabbed Sora's hand and said, "Come on, let's go!"

"But Matt –" Sora began.

"He wants us to go ahead. There's nothing we can do," Mimi replied as she got to her feet and began pulling Sora up the slope. "Just pray for his safety."

**..:II:….:II:….:II:..**

When they got to the bus stop a bus was waiting. Sora took the steps up to it, but stopped when she realized Mimi wasn't moving. Mimi bit her lip looking back the way they'd come. She desperately wanted go back and help Matt, but she didn't think it was a good idea to just push Sora into the bus and leave her alone. And if Mimi took the bus with her up to the onsen, by the time she got back down, it could be too late.

"Go," Sora said, "I'll be fine."

"Sora…"

"Just go, I can tell you want to. Just promise me you'll bring him back safe and sound," Sora smiled. "I'll wait if you'd like me too."

"But I…" Mimi bit her lip. And then slamming her eyes shut, she began to pray fervently. _Please be all right, Matt. Until I make it back. Understand. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. _"No, come on." Stepping up into the bus, with the doors closing behind her, Mimi took a seat with Sora in the back pressing her face against the glass. _Please be all right Matt. Until I come back for you._

The ride up to the onsen was fairly depressing for Mimi. Even more depressing was that this was the first time Mimi had ever stressed out about any type of vacation. Her mind kept drifting back to her blond friend. What if, TK came back at the end of summer to find out that his brother was dead? Or even worse, if they got back to the Real World, what would she tell his parents? She slumped over in her seat fighting back tears. Unbeknownst to her, Sora was watching her over the top of her magazine.

Sora lowered the copy of _Street GALS_ and said, "You know, if this was all you were going to do, you should have just left me at the bus stop and went back for him. Watching you do this to yourself is sad."

What could Mimi say? She knew it would be all her fault if Matt died. She should have never agreed to leave him with that giant monster in the first place.

As if she'd read her thoughts, Sora said, "It will be just as much my responsibility as anybody else's."

Mimi sighed and hung her head, "When we get there, don't tell the others just yet. I want you to go straight to the onsen to relax. You need too."

Sora nodded, "If that's what you want, then that's what I'll do."

Mimi smiled, "And try to stay in our room… at least until I get back. I won't worry as much that way."

"Okay," Sora agreed. "That's what I'll do."

"Last stop! Kimijutsu Hot Springs!" bellowed the bus driver from the front.

"Okay, Sora," Mimi said helping her friend towards the resort. "Sir, if you could stay here until I get back. I'll only be a minute. Just wanna make sure she gets checked in okay." The bus driver nodded as the two girls stepped out of the bus. Walking briskly up the path, Mimi quickly shoved Sora into the resort, and after a quick exchange with the hostage hurried Sora down the hall into their room.

"Stay here until I return, please," Mimi said. "And if I'm not back by tomorrow morning, tell the others what's happened."

"Tomorrow morning?" Sora asked, looking out the window as the sun started to sink behind the horizon. "It'll be earlier than that, when I tell them."

"Okay, at least give me three hours," Mimi said running about the room to make sure Sora would be comfortable. "If your tired, take a nap. You and I can go take a bath when I return. Unless you want to go take one now."

"No, I think I'll read a book," Sora replied abandoning _Street GALS_ on the table withdrawing a thick leather bound book from her bag.

"Okay," Mimi said, "that's good. Stay occupied." She headed for the door. Sora's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Mimi… be safe." Mimi looked over her shoulder and smiled softly at her friend.

"I will be Sora. I promise," Mimi replied and with that, she rushed out of the room. Dashing back outside, and ducking past everyone she saw, she jumped onto the bus, and after explaining that an emergency had come up, asked the bus driver to step on it, and to get back to the bottom of the volcano before nightfall. Agreeing that he'd try his best, Mimi settled herself back at the back of the bus, and tried to occupy herself by looking at clothes that normally she would have been fawning over. But today she was just too distracted.

Watchin sadly as the sun continued to sink behind the clouds, and watching as the trees flew quickly passed the window, Mimi sighed, and let her head _clunk _onto the window. Being alone, Mimi allowed herself a few tears, before her thoughts sadly drifted to Matt. If he was dead, Mimi didn't think she could take it anymore. She would breakdown, just like Sora had, except hers would be worse. Hers would be full blown, and she'd probably end up in the hospital for a while racking unpayable hospital bills. Well unpayable in the situation she was in, with her parents no where to be found. A few more tears slipped down Mimi's cheeks.

Unaware of how much time was passing, Mimi was surprised when the bus stopped and the driver called back to her, "Ma'am we're back at the bottom."

Standing up quickly and running down the aisle, which was okay, seeing as she was the _only_ passenger, Mimi said a hurried, "Please wait for me one more time." Before she jumped out of the bus and ran down the hill towards where she'd last left Matt. The sun was barely there, still shining a bit of light as Mimi reached the area. It was totally destroyed. Giant holes in the road, trees uprooted. But the worse part of it all was the Matt was no where to be seen.

Her heart speeding up, Mimi dashed through the area, calling his name. "MATT! MATT! MAAAAAAATT!" As she dashed through the forest, she came upon a particularly big ditch. Peeking over the side, she felt her heart stop. Matt was lying unconscious, bleeding from several cuts and scrapes. Sliding down into the ditch herself, Mimi ran over to her friend.

"Matt, come on, wake up. Matt, wake up." She shook him, as she felt a slow realization dawning on her. Tears began slipping faster and faster out of her eyes. "No, wake up. Wake up, Matt. Say something. Anything. Please." But when nothing happened, Mimi realized, that he was pale, he wasn't breathing, and that his skin was cold. Staring at him for a minute, her tears momentarily stopped, Mimi felt a strong emotion welling in her chest.

Bringing her trembling hands to her mouth and drawing them down her face in desperation, she felt his blood leave trails on her cheeks as they trembled over her mouth. "No… no…" she shook her head shakily at the site before her. "No. No. No. No." Burying her face in her hands a minute, a couple tears leaked out. "No." Looking up as if she didn't quite believe her eyes, her hands fell.

Slamming her eyes shut as the tears cascaded down her cheeks, she lifted her head to the sky and let out an ear piercing scream, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

O-o-o-O-o-o-O-o-o-O-o-o-O

Terribly evil cliffhanger, isn't it? Oh well, I guess you'll just have to review, now won't you. Happy two year story anniversary, once again, though this is a pretty depressing chapter for it to be a two year celebration chapter. Maybe I should have gone back to TK and Kari after all. Oh well… **REVIEW**! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll get the next chapter out.

ebacusta

P.S. Sorry about any spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and the like that I may have missed during my proof read.

By the way _Street GALS_ is a magazine from the show _Super GALS!_ I really couldn't think of any other magazine title, so I just went with it. Just so you know, it does not belong to me. And any of titles I would have thought of would have been incredibly lame. Like _MNH!_ which would stand for "**M**agazine **N**ame **H**ere!" Pathetic, I know.


	20. The First of the Autumn Leaves

Sunday October 23, 2005

Ebacusta: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know I haven't updated in a little over three months, but school got really busy and I got really busy all of the sudden in August! I'm trying to put myself on a schedule, which means I'll be aiming to update TTTA every Saturday. I know, I just started this and I'm already late, but my grandparents from out of town are visiting and school gave out about a billion hours worth of homework and I've been struggling trying to balance!

Mimi: (looks up from where she's been filing her nails and says in a very sarcastic voice) Oh? A billion hours, huh?

Ebacusta: Ye—shut up! You are so rude to me. I should have killed you off instead of Matt. (grumbles for a minute)

Mimi: Mm-hmm, riiiiight. Just continue spouting your useless excuses.

Ebacusta: Well it's the truth! I had this chapter all planned out and I was going to type it, but I got busy with my grandparents. And then I ended up redoing my entire school newspaper because it was so horridly set up. But on a lighter note! Tomorrow, October 24, I'll be getting my braces off, so I'll be in a much better mode and hopefully in a better position to keep to my schedule. I can't tell you just how excited I am to get these blasted things off either!

Kari: All righty then. So know that you've heard what ebacusta has to say, here's her shout out to you guys:

**Holytakari**- Thank you so much for the compliment. Personally, I don't feel that this story is one of my greatest pieces of literary art, but I'm glad that it satisfies you in such a manner.

**Truely a lost kitten**- Yes, I was sad as well. _I _didn't even know that was going to happen. O.o;; But, this chapters going to speed up a bit to get us back into the swing of things.

**BlackKatKate**- Here's your update. Finally… Sorry it took me so long to get it out. Hopefully now, long updates will be a thing of the past. Hopefully.

**SoV and L.K.**- You know, Gatomon could totally digivolve and whup up on you, so if I were you… I'd put her down. And apparently I can't work any faster as you've seen how long it took me to get this chapter out. (sweatdrops). Well you can take a swipe at my age, but I'm not going to tell you if it's right or wrong. For all you know, I could be a middle aged man taking classes at the nearest community college.

**Angel OF Light**- As much as I love TK and Kari, I felt it was time to show what was happening with the other DigiDestined. Don't worry though, they're back in this chapter.

**TUF STUF II-Henrika foreva-II**- Uh… I hope you didn't kill anyone in the three months it took me to get this out. o.o;;;

**Kara**- Well thank you. But, uh, yeah… my plot twists surprise even me. But that is no longer! I'm planning out the story in advance so a.) I can get the chapters out on time and b.) I don't kill off my main characters when I still need them. (shifty eyes)

**DiamondMoonTears**- Well technically, he could be dead. What you should be asking is IF he's dead. And don't worry about it.

**Kay**- TK will never know. He just might be getting the ax next. (shifty eyes) But thank you.

**Hope master**- Thank you. Read onward!

**Taky Glu**- Uh, you're getting a little red there. You need any water? Yeah, I really hope you didn't check to see if I'd updated every hour because that's about (calculates) 2780 hours of your life wasted. And yeah, that's partially my fault, but, yeah… I'm glad you like the story that much though. And as for this year being easier… LIE! IT WAS ALL A LIE! This year's homework load is kicking my butt! Grrrr...

Ebacusta: At last, the next installment is here!

TK: Fic time!

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 20

**The First of the Autumn Leaves

* * *

**

Her heart speeding up, Mimi dashed through the area, calling his name. "MATT! MATT! MAAAAAAATT!" As she dashed through the forest, she came upon a particularly big ditch. Peeking over the side, she felt her heart stop. Matt was lying unconscious, bleeding from several cuts and scrapes. Sliding down into the ditch herself, Mimi ran over to her friend.

"Matt, come on, wake up. Matt, wake up." She shook him, as she felt a slow realization dawning on her. Tears began slipping faster and faster out of her eyes. "No, wake up. Wake up, Matt. Say something. Anything. Please." But when nothing happened, Mimi realized, that he was pale, he wasn't breathing, and that his skin was cold. Staring at him for a minute, her tears momentarily stopped, Mimi felt a strong emotion welling in her chest.

Bringing her trembling hands to her mouth and drawing them down her face in desperation, she felt his blood leave trails on her cheeks as they trembled over her mouth. "No… no…" she shook her head shakily at the site before her. "No. No. No. No." Burying her face in her hands a minute, a couple tears leaked out. "No." Looking up as if she didn't quite believe her eyes, her hands fell.

Slamming her eyes shut as the tears cascaded down her cheeks, she lifted her head to the sky and let out an ear piercing scream, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Mimi could feel her own throat constricting as she brought her shock-stricken eyes back down from the night clouds to stare at her friend's lifeless body. "Matt…" she gasped as she sank down over his chest. "Oh Matt… I knew I shouldn't have left alone. I knew it, but I did… And now look what happened…" 

A sudden sound met her ears that made her jump, as she straightened and looked around. She didn't hear it anymore. She leaned back down and pressed her ear against his chest. _Bud-dump! Bud-dump! Bud-dump!_ His heart! His heart was beating! "MATT!" she exclaimed, but stopped when she suddenly didn't hear it anymore.

She reached for her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone which she fumbled with for a minute before she was able to get to the keypad. She dialed the emergency number.

_Hello, this is the emergency center, what's the problem? _

"My friend Ma—" Mimi stopped as she felt something touch her knee. She looked down to see Matt's pale hand, and his opening. He shook his head, his breathing shallow and barely noticeable. "Matt?" she asked.

"Hot spring… is better…" he gasped, motioning for her to close her phone.

"Matt, you need to go to the hospital. There's no telling what kind of infections you might have gotten from lying in the dirt," Mimi protested.

"Don't… people go to onsens… for health issues?" Matt replied.

"But Matt, this is different. Those are people with mental issues!" Mimi exclaimed.

Matt shook his head. "Besides… we can't afford… any more hospital bills…" Mimi stopped. That was true. If they couldn't pay, it would make life increasingly difficult. On the other hand, Mimi preferred Matt be perfectly healthy than having her credit ruined. However, then Matt and Sora would both stress out, overworking in an attempt to make money. They'd already paid for the onsen trip, and perhaps hot water would help stimulate his blood cells to form scabs over his wounds and start the healing process.

Mimi raised the phone to her ear and spoke in to it. "Never mind, miss. Sorry for bothering you." She flipped it shut and looked at Matt. "All right, we'll head back to the onsen, but if you collapse, we're going to the hospital." Before Matt could think of a corollary to her statement another voice joined the mix.

"Girl! Girl! Are you all right?" Mimi peeked up to see the bus driver who had taken her up and down the mountain.

"Sir! I'm over here. What's the matter?" she asked suddenly worried. The man dashed over looking concerned.

"I heard screaming, and I thought may something had happened. Is everything all right?" As soon as he finished his question, her saw the other person in the ditch with her and gasped. "What happened?"

"My friend was attacked; could you give me a hand?" Mimi asked as she knelt beside Matt, throwing an arm around him to help him up the side of the ditch. The bus driver knelt and helped pull Matt onto solid ground and the pulled Mimi up as well. Then, supporting his weight, the two of them carried Matt towards the bus, half-running half-walking.

The bus soon came into view. Hurriedly climbing into the vehicle, the man got in the driver's seat and stepped on it, rushing up the side of the mountain. The bus jostled, jiggled, and jumped as they rocketed around bends, over bumps, and swerved past potholes.

"Did you call the hospital yet?" he asked as he swerved around one particularly sharp turn.

"Well, Matt wanted to go the onsen," Mimi said. "I'm worried that perhaps it wasn't the best decision to give into his desire." She looked at blond friend who was leaning against the window his eyes closed, clutching his side with his left hand, sweating slightly, his mouth open as he gasped for air. "Matt, are you all right?"

He nodded tiredly, and the rest of the ride up was fairly quiet. Thankfully, several minutes later, the bus driver called back to her, "We're at the onsen ma'am. Hurry!" Mimi nodded and grabbed her friend, slinging his arm around her shoulders as she helped him out of the bus and rushed with him to the door of the onsen.

They entered, and running past the recreation room where she noticed several of her friends engaged in what looked to be an intense ping-pong tournament, to the owner's room. Throwing the door open, Mimi ran in, dragging Matt beside her.

"Excuse us!" she cried out. The owner of the onsen, a quiet woman with long straight dark hair sat drinking tea. She looked up surprised at her sudden visitors. "Please help us!"

Standing up and rushing towards Matt, the woman helped him over to a pillow on the floor. "What happened to him?"

"I'm not sure," Mimi said, "but have you got an first aid equipment?" Nodding the owner rushed away, and disappeared returning a minute later with a small white suitcase. She opened it. "All right, take his shirt off," the woman said. "I have a small degree in medical."

Nodding, Mimi gingerly lifted Matt's torn shirt over his head and watched as the woman sat about busily cleaning cuts and bandaging his wounds. When she was finished, she stepped back and said, "All right, go soak in the hot springs and then come back so I can re-bandage you."

Matt nodded and stood, carefully, heading out towards the changing rooms for the hot springs. Mimi watched him sadly before sighing, and turning heading towards her room where she'd left Sora. She slid the door open and stepped inside.

Sora was seated at the table, reading a book, a steaming cup of tea sat before her. She peeked over the top of the leather bound book and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?" she asked as she surveyed Mimi's bloodied clothing. Mimi sighed as she sank down to her knees beside her red-headed friend who quietly marked her place in the book, closed it, and sat it down on the table.

"Well, I left and headed back down the mountain," Mimi explained. "When I reached the bottom, all I saw were a bunch of holes in the street. I went in search of Matt. At first I couldn't find him anywhere, but as I drifted through the trees of the forest area, I came upon a ditch and Matt was in it, unconscious and bleeding."

"Bleeding?" Mimi nodded. "What happened?" Sora asked.

Mimi frowned. "I don't know. I haven't talked to him about it. All I know was that when I got there he wasn't breathing, he was unconscious, and his skin was cold and pale. I thought he was dead. I mean seriously, I felt sick and then, as I was crying on his chest, I heard his heart start to beat again. Or perhaps it had always been beating I just hadn't heard it, or been paying attention.

"It sounded like his heart stopped though, or something so I went to call the hospital and he stopped me saying he'd prefer to go to the onsen to rest up there. At first I thought it better he go to the hospital but against my better judgment, I agreed to bring him back over here. The bus driver came to find us, because earlier I'd screamed, and he thought I was in trouble. We took Matt back to the bus and then came back to the onsen." Mimi sighed and placed her head in her hands.

Sora looked at her friend for a minute, appreciatively. "Where's Matt now?"

"Well I took him by the hostess's room, and she got him bandaged up but she told him to go relax in the hot springs for a bit," Mimi replied.

"I see." Sora was silent for a minute and before she smiled as she placed her hands on the table. "Well, I think you could use a bit of relaxation time too. What do you say we follow his lead and go bathe in the hot springs?"

Mimi looked at her for a minute before she smiled back and agreed. "That sounds like fun. Let's go!" The two girls stood and headed out to the dressing room.

**..:II..:II:..:II:..**

"Let's do this, Sora!" Mimi exclaimed as she held up her ping-pong paddle, Sora stood next to her, brandishing her own as well. Several days had passed since Matt had been attacked, and know with Sora almost completely back to normal and Matt healing up nicely, they were settling down for a nice game of ping-pong. The other DigiDestined stood around, watching. "You boys are going down!"

"Keep dreaming," Tai scoffed as he grinned. "Matt and I are official champions of the ping-pong tournament?"

"Oh, what tournament is that?" Sora retorted. "The tournament of ping-pong losers?"

"No, the official Ping-Pong Tournament of Champions!" Matt replied.

Mimi tossed her hair out of her face. "Whatever! Stop lying and let's get this match started!"

Raising the small white ball, Matt grinned, "You two ready?" As much bragging as he and Tai had been doing, they weren't so dishonorable to start when their opponents weren't ready to begin.

"I am," Sora said.

"Bring it," Mimi cooed. Matt hit the ball into play.

"Got it!" Sora said as she hit it back. Tai hit the ball back as soon as it got into his square. Mimi reeled back and smacked the ball back at her two male companions. Matt dashed backwards and swung his arm back with just as much force hitting it back towards Sora. Sora hit it towards Tai as Tai then hit it back in return to Mimi.

Yolei sweatdropped as she watched the four friends hit the ball back and forward. "It's supposed to hit the table. How come they keep turning these volleys into air battles?"

"I don't know," Cody replied as he watched the ball shoot back and forward.

Joe shook his head quietly.

"Ha! I've got it!" Sora exclaimed as she jumped back, hitting the ball at Tai with as much force as she could muster. She fell back onto her bottom from her dive but pushed back up, as Tai hit the ball back.

"Duck!" Ken exclaimed as he, Yolei, Cody, Joe, and Willis all dropped down to the ground, Izzy merely stepping out of the way.

"What?" Davis asked turning around holding a bottle of juice. The ball smacked into his forehead knocking his head back as he fell backwards off his feet.

Throwing the paddles down, Sora and Mimi approached Davis whose eyes now seemed to be swirling. "Davis, are you okay?" Sora asked as she knelt beside him. Mimi grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Ow. That hurt!" he exclaimed.

"Haha, sorry," Tai said as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to hit it that hard."

"I told you to look out," Ken said.

"Like half a second before the ball slammed into my face!" Davis argued as he finally removed his hand which had been rubbing the spot of impact. A small circular red shape was present in the middle of his forehead.

"Didn't you hear everyone else dropping to the ground?" Willis asked as he held out a cool wash cloth.

Davis took it and placed it against his head. "No!"

"Well I'm sorry Davis," Tai said as he picked up Davis's juice and handed to bottle back to the boy.

"Sadly, guys, it's time to go," Joe said as he tossed the ping-pong ball to Matt who caught it and dropped it back in the basket with the others.

"All right then guys, let's go," Matt said. The group turned, grabbing their bags as they went, each thanking the hostess, before heading out to the bus.

**..:II..:II:..:II:..**

"It's good to be home!" Yolei exclaimed as they walked inside. Dropping their bags off in their rooms, they all began their household chores to clean the house. Yolei and Ken departed for the store with Willis in tow, all going to do the weekly shopping while Sora and Mimi began to clean the kitchen, Tai got out the vacuum cleaner, Matt the broom. Izzy and Joe headed for the two bathrooms, leaving the bedrooms for Cody and Davis.

As Tai vacuumed her thought back to the call he'd received a week and a half ago from that man, Yukito. Kari had shattered her arm. He shook his head. She'd promised she'd be careful, but somehow, Hilga had tracked them down. He'd managed to put it out of his mind for the onsen trip, but now that he was back home it was settling in. However, he'd already caused Sora to break down so this time he'd avoid getting depressed. He'd do something proactive. _TK… Kari…_

**..:II..:II:..:II:..**

Kari hugged Mika tightly. They were standing in the airport. It was time to go home. Having spent the rest of their vacation in Okinawa farting about having fun, they were content. Mizuki's condition hadn't improved, but it hadn't worsened either, and TK and Kari were now determined to find a way to help them.

"I had so much fun here. Thank you for having us," Kari said.

"I'm glad you came," Mika replied as Yukito knelt to hug her. "It was good to meet you. And I can feel better knowing that Shiki, Mina, and Kyoko are with good people like you."

"What about me?" Izumi pouted. Mika ignored him, currently angry that he'd been caught trying to teach her children how to fit the keys into her car and put it into gear.

"Yes, and you too Izumi," Yukito said as he ruffled Izumi's hair. Izumi beamed.

"Before you go, TK and Kari, we have a something we'd like to give you," Mika said as she retrieved several boxes wrapped in bright sparkling paper. "Here." She handed them to the two teenagers.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that!" TK exclaimed.

"We wanted too," Mika smiled. "Think of it as a cross between a 'thank you' present and a friendship one."

Kari and TK smiled and nodded. "Thank you!" they said as they bowed.

"No bowing! Don't worry about it. It was my pleasure. We want to thank you deeply for all your help."

"It's no problem," Kari shook her head. "We want to help." She slung her bag over her good shoulder.

"Here let me take those for you," TK said as her grabbed her boxes. Kari nodded her thanks.

"I want to take one more picture before we leave," Kari said. Handing her camera off to a passing woman, the eight new friends crowded together, leaning towards each other as they smiled widely, the three little kids in front. The woman pressed the button and then handed the picture back to Kari. After exchanging hugs with all the children, the six teenagers turned and boarded the plane.

- - -

**Several Hours Later**

- - -

"See you guys later! Thanks for the trip!" Kari and TK waved to Shiki, Izumi, Kyoko, and Mina who were walking away with their parents. The four waved back and promised to talk to them soon.

"That was so much fun," TK said.

"Yeah, it was," Kari agreed. "And I'm feeling so much better!"

"Me too," TK nodded a genuine smile coming to his face. Quickly Kari pulled her camera and snapped the shot. TK blinked. "What was that about?"

"That's one of the first heartfelt smiles I've seen from you in a while," Kari said as she looked up at her friend. TK's expression softened as he wrapped his arms around Kari and hugged her, careful not to hug too hard because of her arm.

"Kari, I have to say, I've missed the old you. When you used to smile and have fun all the time. I'm glad that it's back," TK said. "Let's promise…"

"Hmm?" Kari asked as she looked at him, cocking her head slightly.

"Let's promise to not get depressed over the situation again," TK said.

Kari nodded and held out her pinky. TK took it as she said, "It's a promise."

They left the airport and caught a ride back to Tokyo on the subway. Kari giggled quietly. "You know TK, I'm glad to be back here. I'm sure we've caused the others a lot of trouble though. We should get them something to make it up to them."

TK nodded. "We have souvenirs but food is always fun. What about some ice cream?"

"Ah, ice cream! That's a great idea!" she exclaimed and the best friends entered a shop, picking out two gallons of ice cream and carting it back to their apartment. "I can't wait to see Tai and the others!"

"Me neither." Taking the final steps to the door, Kari pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked it; turning the knob she pushed the door open. Stepping aside, they noticed Tai, Matt, Sora, and Mimi all busy cleaning, with Yolei, Ken, and Willis standing at the kitchen counter unloading things from bags and putting them into bags.

"Hey," Kari and TK said at the same time. "We're home."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

All right, here it is. Look forward to next week's chapter! I'll be aiming for Saturday (TTTA's new official update day). Please forgive any spelling errors and sorry if it sounded rushed. I think it's time we got this story headed back in the direction it should have been going in the first place. (sweatdrops)

ebacusta


	21. There's No Place Like Home

Try, Try, Try, Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 21

**There's No Place Like Home**

* * *

"Let's promise to not get depressed over the situation again," TK said. 

Kari nodded and held out her pinky. TK took it as she said, "It's a promise."

They left the airport and caught a ride back to Tokyo on the subway. Kari giggled quietly. "You know TK, I'm glad to be back here. I'm sure we've caused the others a lot of trouble though. We should get them something to make it up to them."

TK nodded. "We have souvenirs but food is always fun. What about some ice cream?"

"Ah, ice cream! That's a great idea!" she exclaimed and the best friends entered a shop, picking out two gallons of ice cream and carting it back to their apartment. "I can't wait to see Tai and the others!"

"Me neither." Taking the final steps to the door, Kari pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked it; turning the knob she pushed the door open. Stepping aside, they noticed Tai, Matt, Sora, and Mimi all busy cleaning, with Yolei, Ken, and Willis standing at the kitchen counter unloading things from bags and putting them into bags.

"Hey," Kari and TK said at the same time. "We're home."

* * *

The room was dead silent as seven astonished faces looked at the two teens standing nervously in the doorway, bags hanging awkwardly from their arms. Kari nearly twinkled her fingers to see if perhaps Willis had accidentally activated his powers, but she never got a chance as a collective scream rose from the group. 

"What! What's going on! What's happening!" a familiar voice exclaimed as several pairs of feet came storming down the hall. Davis, Izzy, Joe, and Cody burst into view casting about looking, evidently, for Hilga, but stopping when they saw the two people standing in front of the door.

The others didn't wait for the foursome to catch up with what was happening. They ran, cheering, screaming, and yelling, towards TK and Kari, grabbing them, and pulling them into a group hug. Mimi, Sora, and Yolei began crying, as Matt cried into his little brother's shoulder, while hugging him.

"TK, I was so worried," he whispered. When the group hug finally dispersed, Kari looked around. Her eyes landed on her brother, standing by the kitchen counter.

"Tai…" she whispered. The group parted, watching the two siblings with interest. "Tai! I missed you!" Kari exclaimed dropping her backs and running over to him, throwing her one useable arm around him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause you any pain when I left, I just… it just happened, like I told you. It wasn't because of you. It was because of me. I needed a little time to think. So I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Kari, I'm just glad you're back," Tai replied, nuzzling her affectionately. "Safe and sou—" His hand met the hard plaster of the cast on her shoulder. "What's this? What happened here?" he asked, pulling the shoulder of her shirt sideways to reveal the cast. "What happened here?" he repeated.

"Remember when Mr. Yukito called?" Sora reminded him gently. "Hilga attacked them, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Tai said, almost grudgingly as if he'd been planning to extract revenge on somebody and he'd been hoping to do it soon. "You're a bit late. He said you'd be home within a week from his phone call. But that doesn't matter anymore. I'm just gald you're back." He hugged her, careful of the cast on her arm and then, she said brightly, a large smile crossing her face, "We brought ice cream!"

"Let's have a welcome back party!" Mimi exclaimed. "Movies, food, games!" Instantly the group of friends scattered grabbing their jackets and shoes and running out the door to pick up things for the celebration.

- - -

**A Little Bit Later**

- - -

Loud cheers echoed through the hallway back into the bedroom where Kari was standing. She held a clear plastic cup filled with a bubbly liquid. Pulling open the glass door, she stepped onto the balcony shutting it behind her. She walked up to the fence and leaned on it, surveying the city below her. The door opened and shut behind her.

"Hey Kari." She turned and saw Willis smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Hey Willis, how's it going?"

"Well. Are you feeling better?" he asked, joining her at the rail.

"Yes, much better," Kari replied with a small smile.

"It's good to see you smile like that again Kari," Willis told her.

She blushed. "Thanks."

He grinned and looked out across the cityscape. Slowly, his smile slid off his face. Finally he spoke, "You know Kari, this might not be the best time to tell you this, since you just got back from vacation, but… a lot of things happened while you were gone. It was like a chain reaction. Tai got depressed thinking that you'd left because of something he did. It was his fault that you were so depressed because he hadn't been a good enough brother.

"Then Sora had a mental breakdown, stressed from worrying about you, Tai, and everyone else, while working two jobs. She became volatile towards all the males around her. We went to an onsen which got her back to normal, but Sora, Mimi, and Matt came up after everyone else did. They were attacked and Matt stayed behind. He was nearly killed. Things around here are fragile. You have to be careful when you move now, because everything's on the edge, teetering about to fall off and break."

"I see…" Kari took all this information in quietly, keeping her face impassive. This had been a result of her and TK leaving, so she couldn't help but feel partially responsible for it, but…

Willis was beginning to worry. Kari had been quiet for so long and her face had been completely blank. He opened his mouth to assure that everyone was all right but Kari turned to him smiling. She spoke in a bright and cheerful voice, "Well, I guess that's it."

"What?" Willis asked confused.

Kari turned her face so that she was looking out over the city lights again. "I realized something while I was in Okinawa. And it was that you can't change the past, no matter how depressing it was, or how much you may want to. All you can do is reflect on it and work so that the same mistakes don't happen again, because you can change the future with your actions. That's why we need to look ahead and try our hardest to make sure everything turns out all right."

Willis nodded as he watched Kari quietly. Kari took a step away from the railing and turned to Willis. "Let's move forward… as a team… as friends… like a family." Willis stepped towards her as they extended their arms and pulled each other into a tight hug. "We'll make it back, together…"

- - -

**Several Weeks Later**

- - -

"Time flew by so fast," Yolei spoke as she zipped up her bag. "The first day of fall is finally here."

"And that means it's time for us to go home," Izzy supplied as he packed what was left of his clothes into the backpack.

"It's a good thing we sold all of our furniture of the past couple weekends. And found someone else to rent the apartment. If all goes well, we won't be coming back here any time soon," Mimi stated as she shouldered her own bag. Sora nodded in agreement.

Kari, Ken, Willis, and TK stood by and blinked, watching the preparations. When Tai opened the door, TK piped, "Where are you going, Tai?"

"To the park. We all are. So come on you four. Out you go."

"Why to the park?"

"You'll see," Matt nodded, giving them a small smile. With that, the thirteen children filed out of the room and hurried to towards the park.

"It will be good to see home again, won't it?" Cody asked as he helped Izzy draw the two x's and draw his pictures where appropriate.

"What are you guys doing?" Willis asked.

"Drawing the 'gate' back to our world, if you will," Izzy supplied. "Now, take your places." Tai, Sora, Mimi, Matt, Cody, Yolei, Davis, Joe all took their places. "All right," Izzy instructed. "Kari, your power is light—the brightest—so you stand here in the middle of the X. The very center. And then you three form a triangle around her. Wind, Weather, Time clockwise." When he was satisfied with the set up, he stepped into place. "All right, starting with you again, Tai, I want everyone to call out their power. We'll spiral in. And when the elements come out, you _cannot_ move. Not unless you want to get left behind."

"Elements? Izzy, what on earth are you talking about?" Kari asked.

"It doesn't matter right now. Just trust me. _Do not move._" The four in the middle nodded shakily and exchanged confused glances. "All right. Everyone ready?"

"As ready as we're gonna be," Ken mumbled as he shifted slightly.

"That's your last movement until we get back to our world, Ken," Izzy said with a smirk. "Tai!"

"Fire!"

"Sky!"

"Mist!"

"Water!"

"Ice!"

"Snow!"

"Lightening!"

"Flower!"

"Earth!"

"Wind!"

"Weather!"

"Time!"

"Light!"

The ground began shaking. Fire exploded in front of Tai, a cloud surrounded Sora, fog settle thickly on Davis, water splashed up around Joe, ice enveloped Matt, snow began falling on Cody, lightening began crashing to the ground around Izzy, flowers grew and wrapped coyly around Mimi, and earth shot up around Yolei. Wind began to blow in a tight circle around TK, rain began to fall on Ken, and time slowed as a light came from the sky enveloping Kari. She felt herself being lifted up. TK appeared to be rising with her, so she assumed the others were. Though he stopped a certain height and she rose even higher, her hands raising subconsciously, though she winced when she remembered Izzy's admonition.

However, slowly the Digidestined began to spin in a circle, the elements intermingling with each other. Kari caught only one final glance of the Sakura trees before the light became so bright she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was standing in a very familiar place. Odaiba Park.

The four looked around and then looked at each other and grinned. They all jumped into a group hug with each other, laughing and giggling. The other digidestined joined in as well. "It's nice to be back!" they exclaimed.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sorry it took me so long to get this out. It's rather short—not well-written but I've been having a hard time these past couple of months. This was the best I could squeeze out. I hope you'll forgive me and bear with me. I'll try to make the next chapter better.

ebacusta


	22. Getting Reacquainted: Part 1

Monday, March 26, 2007

Eba: HOMYGOSH! Guess who's baaaa-aack! D So yeah, I know I've taken a long time getting my act together and what not, and you really have no idea how much I appreciate your patience and continual support. I think I'm finally back on my feet, so hopefully, updates will be more frequent as I get time. Once again, I am so so so so _so _sorry for making you wait this long in the first place. However, since I've got next to no energy (four hours of sleep will do that too ya), I, unfortunately, cannot think of any funny stuff to do for the beginning. That will have to make a come back next chapter. In the mean time, I would like to thank the following reviewers (also included are the reviewers from chapter 20, sorry I forgot to thank you!):

**onlyIcanRULEtheWORLDlikeIdo**- Well, not back in the real world no. But rest assured, this is not the last you will see of the New World. As for the virus, stay tuned! And no sequel yet. The story's not done (though I took so long, I could have fooled ya, huh?) Thanks for the review!

**Shire Folk**- Oh my god, this is possibly the longest review (flame or non-flame) I've ever gotten! Thank you so much for taking such a keen interest in my story. I hope your interest hasn't petered out since it's taken me so long to update. Thanks for the comments, I really appreciated them. As for your questions, most of those will be answered in this chapter, I believe. I should get started though.

1. Hmm, I was going to answer this one, but this gives me an idea for later on in the chapter, so keep an eye peeled for the answer.

2. They didn't have their digimon with them and TK, Kari, Ken, and Willis didn't have their digivices. Furthermore, Digimon don't really exist in the New World. Remember (in chapter 8, I believe), when they go get their disguises, Kari is dressed as Yolei because in the New World, their lives as the Digidestined were recorded as a TV show.

3-6. These will all be answered this chapter.

7-8. No, they can't. The powers are just in the New World, and it will be explained why later on in this chapter.

9. It's right now! Sorry it's taken me so long! Nearly a year. -cough cough-

Thanks so much for your review! I loved it!

**Geo Fighter**- I'm updating. Please don't sic Kun and BlackWarGreymon on me. I'm against torture! Sorry it took so long. Please enjoy the chapter! Thanks for the review.

**Kaydreams**- Kay! Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the review.

**RockyRoadSmith2**- Thanks! Enjoy the chapter.

**Iaveina**- Yay!! Thanks for the review.

**The lost-kitten**- Yes! And now I'm back again! Hope you're still with me.

**4everDestined**- Yes. I just did. Almost a year. This chapter's really long. I think you'll enjoy it. And please don't sic your evil minions on me. I'll go faster in the future, I promise!

**Kara**- Thanks. I'm doing fine now. I don't think you'd believe it, but all kinds of bad things just kept coming up and like slapping me in the face. It's taken me a bit of time to get over them, but I watched Digimon the first season the other day, and it got me back in the mood for writing. Plus, I think my writing's been improving a lot as of late! It's getting better and better and that's really exciting. As for Hilga, you'll have to wait and see, though I guess I can go ahead and tell you that most people won't be seeing Hilga _as she was in the New World_ anytime soon. Thanks for the review!

**Cassie**- Thank you! I will do my best to do just that.

**Catluv101**- Thanks. I don't know about perfect, but I'm trying to get as close as possible.

**Tori**- Yes I am. Sorry it's taken so long for the update.

**AshleyPorter**- Thanks! Please stick around!

**Digisailor**- Thanks. I try my hardest to make sure everyone stays involved, because one of my biggest qualms with the series was that it focused on like two particular people and everyone else just kinda got lost in the mix. No fair, no fair! I say. Thanks for the review, please stick around.

**DiamondMoonTears**- Thanks!

**SoV and L.K.**- Awesome! I'm eagerly awaiting it, SoV! Thanks for the review.

**Hope master**- Haha! Thanks. Please stick with me.

**Sakuno629**- Thanks. I'll try.

**Pink Kunai**- Sorry sorry. It's going to continue. And keep continuing even after this update.

**Taky Glu**- No! I love long reviews. Unfortunately, school got the better of me, though I don't have much of an excuse as to why I didn't update over the summer. Sorry. Good luck. Thanks for the review!

**Purple-Fairy93-** Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it that much. Sorry it's taken me so long to update it again. I will try to update more and more frequently from now on. Thanks for the review!

So that about wraps it up! Please enjoy the chapter and I promise, I will sincerely try with all my might to do better in the future. Making you guys wait for a year was more than a little ridiculous, and I realize that. But since you've stuck around, I really cannot stress enough how much that meant to me. I love you all.

Oh and by the way, I'm going to be rewriting the first several chapters, so if you see things in this chapter or subsequent chapters that are a little bit inconsistent with chapters 1-10 as they are now, please don't worry. I know it's messy doing it this way, but I really dislike the beginning. If you see inconsistencies _past_ chapter 10, please, please, _please _let me know! I try and reread the necessary chapters before I start writing to avoid that, but we all know that I am prone to make mistakes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. If I did, the ending would have been a _lot _better.

Try, Try, Try Again

By ebacusta

Chapter 22

**Getting Reacquainted: Part 1**

* * *

The ground began shaking. Fire exploded in front of Tai, a cloud surrounded Sora, fog settle thickly on Davis, water splashed up around Joe, ice enveloped Matt, snow began falling on Cody, lightening began crashing to the ground around Izzy, flowers grew and wrapped coyly around Mimi, and earth shot up around Yolei. Wind began to blow in a tight circle around TK, rain began to fall on Ken, and time slowed as a light came from the sky enveloping Kari. She felt herself being lifted up. TK appeared to be rising with her, so she assumed the others were. Though he stopped a certain height and she rose even higher, her hands raising subconsciously, though she winced when she remembered Izzy's admonition.

However, slowly the Digidestined began to spin in a circle, the elements intermingling with each other. Kari caught only one final glance of the Sakura trees before the light became so bright she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was standing in a very familiar place. Odaiba Park.

The four looked around and then looked at each other and grinned. They all jumped into a group hug with each other, laughing and giggling. The other digidestined joined in as well. "It's nice to be back!" they exclaimed.

* * *

Izzy's happiness at finally returning home after five months of living on his own was short-lived. How long had they been gone? Five minutes or five years? He looked around worriedly, yet trying not to attract attention to himself. Kari, TK, Ken, and Willis had just returned. The last thing he wanted to do was spoil the mood by reminding everyone of the possibility they'd been gone five years and several days. Unfortunately for him, Mimi noticed.

"Izzy, what's wrong?" He flinched when he heard his name. Gradually, the cheers turned into silence. He turned his head slowly, hoping against hope that only Mimi was looking at him. But again, fate was not on his side. They were all peering at him questioningly. He cringed slightly. How to break the news?

"Uh… well…" he said turning the rest of his body around slowly. "You guys remember when we first broke the gate into the New World… and I said that we messed up the time cycle?"

"Hmm… yeah," Tai nodded.

"Oh no," Matt groaned, his head sinking into his hands. It had already dawned on him.

"Yeah…" Izzy said.

"What?" Ken asked. He, Willis, TK, and Kari seemed completely oblivious to the realizations that were slowly dawning on the other Digidestined.

Izzy turned to him. He was silent for a minute and finally, he spoke. "Well, you'll recall when we first met in the New World I told you that we broke the gate to come find you guys in the New World." Nods. Slowly, he went on, "Well, we kind of messed up the way time passed here and how it passed in the New World, so it could have either really slowed down or really sped up, which means… we could have been missing for either five minutes or…" he paused, unwilling to finish his sentence.

"Or?" Willis prompted.

"…Or five years," TK finished, his eyes wide. It had come back to him.

Kari's legs gave way beneath her. She fell into TK, who himself, looked to be barely standing up. "Five years?" she gasped. She remembered now too. Izzy nodded slowly. She didn't know why this was such a shock to her. He'd told them, but she must have had so much on her mind that the knowledge easily slipped away. Another fear struck her heart. "Mom could have wasted away in grief in that period of time! Depressed at both her children's disappearance in a matter of weeks!" she exclaimed. Her heart began pounding. _'Mom! I completely forgot about her! What if she really has died in the time we've been gone? I… I wouldn't know what to do with myself.'_

"We need to figure out which is which, though," Izzy replied. Instantly, members of the group began casting around, looking for signs that would tell the answer.

"I can't tell here," TK said. "There's just a bunch of trees. Trees take forever to grow."

"Perhaps we should all head home?" Yolei offered, quietly. She was clinging to Ken's arm, unsure of what to do with herself, now that she'd been reminded of the gravity of the situation.

"That… that sounds reasonable," Tai said, nodding slowly. "Yeah. Let's do that. And then we can meet up back here in an hour or so."

"Agreed," the thirteen kids chorused, before breaking off and heading their separate ways. Kari marveled at her surroundings. It had been so long since she'd been back in Odaiba. Her Odaiba, anyway.

"Everything looks really different," she noted, only a hint of apprehension in her voice. Her heart, however, sped up. Tai nodded slowly after a moment. He too was staring at the buildings around him. After living in another world, under such adverse conditions for so long, he wasn't quite sure what to think. He was finally home, but at the same time, he wasn't. What if five years had passed and all of his friends from school had graduated, and moved on with their lives? They were all starting their lives in the corporate world, and possibly getting ready to get married and start a family. He'd just be a distant memory in their minds. The thought that the world had gone on without him, leaving him a fading figment of most people's imaginations was frightening and depressing at the same time. It was almost like starting life all over again!

Kari noticed her brother's trouble expression. "It will be okay, Tai," she said, reaching out to pet his arm with her hand. Even if she didn't quite believe it, she hoped it to be true. And Tai saw the comment for what it was: an attempt to make him feel better. He smiled.

"Yeah, I know it will be. Just thinking of what to tell Mom when I come back with you behind me," he replied. They walked the rest of the way in silence. They hesitated in front of the door longer than what was normal. Just looking. Was either of them really ready to face the consequences if they'd been gone for five years as opposed to five seconds?

Finally, Tai spoke. "I guess I should…open this, huh?" he asked quietly.

Kari nodded. "Yeah. Guess so."

He nodded as well, and reached out, resting his hand on the door handle. He didn't turn it, but instead, let his hand continue to rest there. Finally, "Tai?"

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "It's just… I'm scared." Kari was taken aback. Her older brother. He was fearless! Always courageous. Nothing slowed him down. She'd never heard him admit to be scared about anything—not that she could remember. Not even when facing giant life threatening situations, such as battles with giant digimon and what not. But now, he was too scared to open a door? It was so weird. He went on though, "I mean, what if we open this door only to find out parents dead, the apartment covered with a thick layer of dust, and further evidence to show that we've just missed out on a large part of our lives? It's just too frightening. I've missed so much. Can I really take knowing that I missed out on five more years?"

Kari agreed. It was a frightening prospect. But she'd made a deal with TK to not get depressed again, and to her that meant being a bit more courageous. Not overanalyzing things, but instead, just jumping right in and dealing with the problems as they came. "I know. But let's open it together," she suggested, reaching her hand out and covering Tai's with it. His hand was trembling. _'I guess he's really not indestructible like he'd always led me to believe,'_ she noted with a small smile. "On the count of three. One…two…three!" Pushing down on the door handle, the two siblings threw open the door and peered inside. It looked like it usually did. The door banged against the wall.

They waited. No response. Yuko, the elderly widow a few doors down, was peering at them, wondering what they were doing flinging open their apartment door and staring into it as if they'd never seen it before. The two smiled sheepishly and bowed slightly before hurrying inside the apartment and closing the door behind them. They glanced around the front entryway. No noticeable differences, but what kind of thing could an apartment entryway tell a person?

"We're home!" Tai called out after a space of silence. Cautiously, he walked forward with Kari literally clinging to the waist of his shirt. She was slightly nervous too, he could tell. They received no response. "Mom? Dad? You'll never believe who I ran into to!" He paused. Still no response. Stepping from the entry hall into the living room, they glanced around. Nothing was out of place or anything. Carefully, Kari let go of Tai's shirt and stepped away from him, branching out to explore the living room for any signs that might tell them how much time had passed. The clock said it was 5:30 in the afternoon. People, like their father, might be getting off work now.

"I left the house at like, 4:30 to go meet with Izzy and the others. The time, unfortunately, doesn't tell us much. It could be an hour and five years ago that I left this house," he mumbled.

"Hold on now Tai, don't jump to conclusions," Kari said as she glanced around the room. She spied a coffee cup on the table. "Hmm, Mom did usually drink tea around this time, right?" she noted, "And the fact that out key still worked proved that the locks haven't been changed. Mom and Dad must still live here."

"New tenants. Lock's not always changed," Tai replied, though he was beginning to believe that. Especially when he spied the phone table. Kari picked up the cup and spoon and headed into the kitchen to place it in the sink. She spied a note on the counter. Lowering the dishes into the sink, she cautiously headed over the counter, fearful of what she might find. She knew that this would make or break the day—this piece of paper held the answer.

"Tai, come here," she said, waving him over. He sat down the picture he was looking at and approached.

"What is it?"

"A note."

"From mom or dad?!" he asked hurrying over to her.

"Mom. It's in her handwriting," Kari replied picking up the note. She glanced at it a moment before reading it aloud. "'_Tai, I've gone to my sister's. I'll return tomorrow at about six o'clock. Please behave yourself until then. Also, your father called. His business trip has been prolonged by a couple days. Again, I must stress this: **Please behave yourself.**_ _Love Mom._'" She set the note back on the counter. They were silent for a minute, both of them staring at it. Then, simultaneously, they began whooping and cheering. After a giant hug, they instantly began rushing around the apartment, grabbing things and hugging them, sometimes even smooching objects (in Kari's case anyway). A quick run through their bedroom and they were back out the door, sprinting as fast as they could, still whooping and yelling.

They knew they were attracting disapproving glares. And what's more, they didn't care.

* * *

"KARI! YAY!" Yolei yelled as Kari and her jumped up and down with excitement. Kari jumped on Willis and squeezed him with all her strength. ("Careful with your arm!" he exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.) All of them were like this. Yelling, jumping, cheering, not caring how many people looked at them. They were too happy and too relieved to care. All depressing thoughts swept away. After several more minutes of this, however, Izzy soon called them all to attention. Gradually, the cheering, laughter, and excited bubble of speech quieted.

"I hate to be the wet blanket here, but I think it'd be a good idea to talk about everything that's happened recently while it's still fresh in our minds. This is our chance to extract any possible clues we can that might help us figure out why Kari, TK, Willis, and Ken were called there and how this world relates to our world and the Digital World."

Sora nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. But where to begin? So much happened!"

"The most logical thing to do would be to start from the beginning," Joe piped up, "meaning TK, Willis, Kari, and Ken should get the floor first."

"Wait! This conversation could take a while," Mimi interrupted. "We should go somewhere where we can talk in comfort. Besides, it's getting dark out." One glance at the sky told everyone that she was right. A short walk later, and the group was settling into chairs in the corner of a coffee shop, some holding cups with a steaming liquid inside of them, others holding cups with cool drinks. They all turned and looked expectantly at the four kids, who blinked back at them in return.

"What?" TK finally asked.

"Aren't you going to start us off?" A prompt from Yolei.

TK shook his head. "I was the last to wake up, so if you want to start from the beginning, you want somebody else."

"I think Kari was the first one to wake up," Willis supplied. The eyes all turned towards the brunette. She was shocked for a moment, as if she'd planned on just fading into the crowd, but finally sat her cup down on the table in front of her and nodded.

"I suppose I was the first one awake. After we departed on those stakes, we woke up in this forest of Sakura Trees. I don't know for certain if there's a place like that in Japan, but we were in Tokyo. In any case, I heard a noise so I went to check it out. It was Willis waking up. I mean, there's not much to say—"

"Not much to say," Willis interrupted. "Excuse me, there's a ton of strange stuff that happened when we first showed up there."

"Stuff? Stuff like what?" Tai asked leaning forward. Kari could tell he was instantly assuming the worst, but she would too, if she'd been him. She had been kidnapped by some strange virus after it threatened to stab her. Willis looked at Kari to explain, but Kari motioned for Willis to go on.

"Well, after Kari and I met up, we'd heard running water, so we headed in that direction, and came upon this pond. Ken was on a rock in the middle and he fell in, but he was still unconscious, so Kari went in after him and it was really weird. Like as soon as she disappeared beneath the water, there was no sound. Nothing moved. Almost like time stopped. There weren't even any ripples on the water. And she was down there for so long. Several times, she surfaced without Ken.—"

"What was so weird about it to me was that the pond was, as far as I could tell, bottomless. And every time I tried to grab Ken and go back up the surface, there was some force making sure I stayed down. Like the pond wanted us to drown—and we almost did too." Tai looked at Kari instantly concerned, but Kari waved it off. "It was five months ago, Taichi, I'm fine." He looked a bit reluctant but let it slide.

"So…a bottomless pond that kills whoever gets in it?" Izzy seemed to be trying to make sense of it all.

"I'm not sure if all this stuff relates to each other," Ken spoke up, "so trying to relate it all initially could give you nothing but a bunch of headaches. But shortly after being rescued from the pond, we ran into an interesting person."

"Was it Hilga?" Cody asked.

"We actually ran into her later, but it was—"

"TK…" TK breathed.

"What?" everyone asked confused.

"There was a boy—just like me! He was me. Except corrupted. He was the one responsible for all the initial death attempts on us, mostly Kari. Evidently, in that world, there is a counterpart of each of us, living out our lives, and what should have happened when we entered the world was that each counterpart was replaced with us. But that didn't happen with him. His desire to harm Kari was so strong, he was able to remove himself from though—corrupted as he was. We called him the Dark TK for lack of a better name," TK explained.

"Why'd he want to kill Kari?" Davis asked.

"And you too?" Matt added.

_'I know you're from another world, but the Kari from this world (before you came) rejected me. For my good friend, Davis.'_ The words rang loud and clear in his head. He was burning with humiliation. Though they were friends, they'd always been rivals for Kari's love, and TK had been certain he would win. He cared for her more than anything in the world and had also known her a lot longer than Davis. What would he have to do to make her reject him for Davis? Or maybe she didn't like him in the first place. Regardless, both options put him on shaky ground.

"TK?" Davis prompted. The boy jumped upon hearing his name. "What?" he asked. Davis repeated his question.

"I…I don't know," he lied. He couldn't admit that to Davis. He'd never hear the end of it. And somehow, he felt like telling them would mean he was admitting defeat, which he most certainly was not! He was still going to win Kari's heart.

"Did the Dark TK have any special markings?" Izzy asked abruptly.

TK shook his head. "None. None that I saw anyway."

"Why, Izzy?" Ken asked. He had missed Izzy's earlier explanation of it. So had Yolei, Cody, and Davis.

"Markings can help me relate certain things," he replied. "The specific marking I'm looking for is a small star."

"Why a star?" Yolei asked.

Sora jumped in, hoping to give Izzy a chance to process all the information he'd just received. "Shortly after TK and them disappeared, Izzy discovered a similarity between the coding of the virus, the stakes, and ropes. That similarity, when coded into a computer correctly all produced a small star. Depending on where that particular set of instructions were, it varied from where the star appeared."

"Hilga Riverton has a star on her left hand!" Kari exclaimed suddenly. Izzy's eyes instantly shot to Kari.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I believe it was on her left hand. Her niece, Mina, enlightened me about it. I didn't know about this at the time. That tidbit of information sounds like it could be really helpful. And her sister was talking about how much Hilga changed after the death of her husband. It could be that the virus attacked her around then, or something. And her soul stealing power was definitely not normal. And I'm pretty sure she can fly without wings—that's another thing! Wings!"

Everyone looked at Kari, puzzled, but she went on. "While I was in Okinawa with Shiki and his family, Kyoko and Mina explained to me why Hilga was after the four of us more than anything. Evidently, every ten years, there's a child born that is so in tune with their powers, that they can make them take any shape they want. Most times, the shape they take are the wings. Ken, TK, Willis, and I all had the wings of our powers. Evidently, they're really strong together. Being able to stop, rewind, fastforward, or slow down time, for example, would be an amazing commodity. I don't know how we were picked to all be wing-bearers, especially since we all traveled together—that's just really strange! But it's true. And if Hilga steals the wings…" Kari looked down.

"What?" Sora asked.

"There was a girl," TK began, "Shiki's sister, Mizuki. She was the first victim of Hilga's. She had the wings of fire. Ever since they've been stolen, she's been in a deep deep coma. Most people would have died by then, but Yukito kept up enchantments that would help her to stay strong, or a least remain in a stabilized condition. Kari managed to get them back in the final battle we had with Hilga, but—" TK gestured at Kari's arm, which was still in a cast. "You can see the result."

"What I don't understand is why would the virus take them there? What does the New World have to do with the Digital World?" Heads turned. Matt was staring down at his lap, his face creased with thought. "And it just doesn't make sense for the virus to take them to a place over which it has no control. That wouldn't help it advance its main goal."

Joe nodded. "That's a valid point. However, I think it's indirectly linked somehow. Just because of what you said. This virus obviously has an end goal that it's working towards. Initially, if you'll recall, we thought that it was after TK and Kari because they had the crests of light and hope. They both appeared in the dark ocean at least once. Our crests were glowing on our chests at the time when the virus took Ken, Willis, and them, but they didn't glow once while we were in the actual world. Another connection, thereby, lies in the show, Digimon, that aired in the New World."

"Well if that's the case, why did we have powers?" Tai asked.

"I have a theory," Cody spoke, quietly. "It goes along with Joe's analysis. Did anyone else happen to notice that our powers all corresponded mostly with our crests? Since we obtained powers in the New World, it's highly likely that as a result our crests would no long glow because they'd been replaced by something else."

Mimi nodded. "It's almost like the Digital World except the powers have replaced the crests and the digimon."

"Interesting analysis, Cody," Izzy said after pondering the comments for a moment. "I'll keep that in mind as I search for more clues."

"Was their anything else out of the ordinary that needs to be noted?" Tai asked. He sat his empty coffee cup down on the table and looked around the group.

Yolei raised her hand tentatively. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and timid (completely out of the ordinary), "Do you think Hilga might come after us in this world? I mean if she's infected with that virus and all, this can't be the last we'll see of her."

"I don't think we have to worry about that, Yolei," Joe said.

Sora nodded. "Hilga may be after us in the New World, but there's absolutely no reason she should be after us here. If she exists in this world, her body here has not been infected with the virus. Besides, she doesn't have powers with which she could track us, fight us, or chase us."

"She also has no reason to track us here. We have nothing to offer her. I mean, she could steal our souls, I guess, but she won't get much," Cody added with a shrug.

"What should we do from here, then?" Mimi asked. "The virus will probably get more aggressive since we escaped its grasp in the New World."

Davis answered the question before anyone else even had a chance to open their mouths. "We should head to the Digital World. There's no telling what kind of damage has been done there."

"Is that the last concern then?" Tai asked, once again, turning his head to look about the group. When he received no response, Matt took that as his cue. "In that case, Tai and I have to run. We need to run up and go see Kichi. We haven't been to her house in ages."

"Yeah, TK and I need to go check up on our community service project too," Kari said standing. TK got to his feet as well.

"This doesn't have to be our last conversation about this though. If anyone thinks of anything else, they shouldn't hesitate to let everyone else know," TK replied.

"Yeah! We're a team! Everyone would do well to remember that," Davis agreed, enthusiastically. "Together we fight! Together we fall!" Thirteen nods, some "right"s.

"Hmm, all the people I would usually hang out with are otherwise occupied," Yolei pouted. "I don't just want to go home."

"Izzy and I are going to the mall," Mimi replied. "You're more than welcome to join if you'd like."

"Could I really?!" Yolei asked, stars in her eyes. She loved the mall. And going with a fashionista like Mimi meant killer fashion advice.

"Sora, you up for it?" Mimi asked turning to the red-head.

Sora shook her head. "Nah, I think I'm going to go with Tai and Matt. Thanks for the invite though."

Mimi shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Willis looked around. Everyone was paired up but Joe, Ken, Davis, Cody and him. "I guess that leaves us five together. Any plans?"

"Hmm, it's too late to play soccer," Davis noted, pushing out his bottom lip in a pout.

"How 'bout a movie then?" Ken suggested."

"Great idea! Glad I thought of it," Davis said, beaming.

"Awesome, you can pay for the snacks then," Willis said with an equally big smile. "You game, Cody?"

"Sure, that sounds good. I'm too late for Kendo practice anyway. "What are you doing, Joe?" Would you care to join us?" Cody asked.

"Actually, I have a test tomorrow that I need to get home and study for. Can I take a rain check on that invitation?"

"Sure. Good luck. See you guys later."

"Bye. Be safe." With that, the Digidestined stacked their cups together and went their separate ways.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

And that's that! 5,393 words. This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I ran out of time. I wanted to update before school started. I'll try and get the next part out ASAP. And believe me, it will not be a year later. It will be within the next couple of weeks. I will set a deadline for myself. I'm way too busy of a person. I don't know why I reach out to do everything in sight. I should really ease off at school so I'll have more time here. But we'll see how that goes. Thanks for reading! Please review.

-eba

P.S. People who's questions I said would be answered in this chapter. If they weren't, it's likely they would have been before I had to cut that chapter into parts. It will probably appear next chapter. However, please state the question again so I can make sure it will be.


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